I doubt it. Most iPhone's are going to be on contract, contract means you're already locked in, so you either cannot upgrade when the new one comes out, or you pre-order for delivery. Crazy lines at stores are most likely a thing of the past.
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iPhone 3G S Launch Lines and Disassembly Photos
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lol - engadget are so full of it
i was there for the original november one and i was there for today's too
the picture from today must have been before 7am because i saw the queue at 7 and there were about 20 people in it - and by the time i got inside there must have been 90+ people already queuing around the store
and the pic from November is after they'd opened the doors and people are going in - which, if i remember, was at 9:02am and so Oxford St was busy with xmas shoppers anyway
iPhone 3GS Scotland
Cued since 3:30am at O2 Princes Street, Edinburgh - sad I know. Cue was at 10 when doors opened. First in line, very efficient staff in store, no problems activating in store. MMS working Tethering working too.
It's so quick at loading apps and general navigation!!!
Cued since 3:30am at O2 Princes Street, Edinburgh - sad I know. Cue was at 10 when doors opened. First in line, very efficient staff in store, no problems activating in store. MMS working Tethering working too.
It's so quick at loading apps and general navigation!!!
There's very little they can do to the design of the iPhone except to change the material of the case. The tapered edges are perfect as is. The problems are:
-they are tied to one carrier
-most of the 3.0 features could be had by last year's hardware
-many iPhone users have existing contracts
-video is the only feature you could sell to customers
The biggest problem is the first one. RIM will beat Apple again this quarter because they make phones for all carriers. As much as there are Apple loyalists, there are people who are loyal to their carriers because they're happy.
Worth it...
Well, I tried pre-ordering one the day after 3gs announcement and actually paid for the 16 GB. AT&T preferred to give folks that ordered way after me a tracking number: no love felt there
. Changed my mind, I really wanted a 32 GB, so here I am waiting in line with only 4 parties ahead of me. Went to bed at 9:30, gotta love the Ambien, melatonin, Valerian, potassium, and two Walgreens "Sleep 2" pills: yes, enough to put down an elephant .
It's a neat experience: not bad at all!
Well, I tried pre-ordering one the day after 3gs announcement and actually paid for the 16 GB. AT&T preferred to give folks that ordered way after me a tracking number: no love felt there
. Changed my mind, I really wanted a 32 GB, so here I am waiting in line with only 4 parties ahead of me. Went to bed at 9:30, gotta love the Ambien, melatonin, Valerian, potassium, and two Walgreens "Sleep 2" pills: yes, enough to put down an elephant .It's a neat experience: not bad at all!
Slight difference being that the original was launched at 6pm after work, a time when Regent Street is bustling anyway, rather than 7am, when Regent street is far from bustling.
Arrived outside O2 in the UK at 8am to a queue of about 10 people. By 8.45 there were another 5 behind me. There is a CPW directly opposite who opened their doors earlier than O2. All those behind me, and me, went over to CPW - the first guy left without a phone as they were not doing PAYG, only contract. I bought a black and a white 16Gb (one for me, one for my wife - I have a 3G but am putting the SIM in that into the 3GS and giving my 3G to my daughter to get around the contract!). I walked out with the first two 3GS sold in Hertford! One other person bought one at CPW after me, everybody else in the O2 queue was buying a PAYG.
I didn't expect huge queues today because of the contract shenanigans, and there weren't any. Not sure what the UK Apple Stores would be like though, as opposed to the O2 / CPW stores.
Haven't unboxed it yet.
I didn't expect huge queues today because of the contract shenanigans, and there weren't any. Not sure what the UK Apple Stores would be like though, as opposed to the O2 / CPW stores.
Haven't unboxed it yet.
Glasgow Apple Store: probably about 50 in que by 8am. When i left it was around 8:30am, walked past the O2 Store in Buchanan Galleries which was open. No que, 1 person buying. Then walked past CPW also in Buchanan Galleries, no que, no one inside.
Oh dear.
The line's VERY reasonable here, but I got here just before 5am and am about 30th in the reserved line.
Wow.. I just realised people are posting here from their phones.. I'm slow. I wish the 3G S was released today in Australia, I want one!!
I am at the meadowhall apple store in the uk, they let me in the shop lol so i have already tried it before most people woooo, the is only 10 people in line, i bet it will get busy later on
This is probably the biggest reason. The 3Gs just isn't going to set records like the 3G did. The orginal iPhone sales paled in comparison to the 3G sales and now all of those people are tied into contracts. And even if Apple was to lower the price, will people be wanting to extend their contract for another 2 years? Especially with AT&T's attitude. The exclusivity agreement may have helped Apple at first, but now it's hindering them. Apple should be allowed to sell the phone to anyone they please, even if they're just buying it to blend it or whatever.
Broadcasting Live - 6:30 am
UStreamin live
@chriscrutch: iPhone 3GS Launch, Charlotte NC (Broadcasting live at http://ustre.am/2rvX)
UStreamin live
@chriscrutch: iPhone 3GS Launch, Charlotte NC (Broadcasting live at http://ustre.am/2rvX)
very good
Well that pretty much proves the power of pre orders and home authorization along with overlapping contracts.
5th Ave. is an indicator. It should be a smooth day.
The line's VERY reasonable here, but I got here just before 5am and am about 30th in the reserved line.
Well that pretty much proves the power of pre orders and home authorization along with overlapping contracts.
5th Ave. is an indicator. It should be a smooth day.
What is? The turning up at 3:30 or the inability to spell 'queue'?
Now I remember why I stopped posting in these forums years
ago- minority of rude individuals!
1. Waiting in a 'queue' in Scotland means cold hands quickly so 'cue' is easier rattle off on an iPhone
2. I'm dyslexic so occasionly I'm not perfect
3. Waiting in line 3:30am may be sad, but taking the time to post a completely unessersary and quite frankly rude reply is much sadder and pretty unconstructive.
Re: Lines
Lines are obsolete when you can SANELY pre-order and have it delivered to home/office/etc. Apple could have allowed pre-ordering the last two go-arounds but it understood the PR value in the visuals of long lines.
I have no doubt the "early adopter" sales of the 3GS will be equal to or better than the 3G and absolutely smoke 2G sales (remember that hype-o-rama with news shows dedicating their entire hour to interviewing line waiters and new buyers). However, 3GS raw sales estimates in the half million range is no competitions for 2G lines around the block consisting of 400 people.
With the tracking thread here well over 5000 posts (5000!), not to mention all the 3G owners who complained they couldn't upgrade to what is essentially the same phone + a better cam and video I think its hard to make the case the 3GS is not in high demand or extremely anticipated.
Lines are obsolete when you can SANELY pre-order and have it delivered to home/office/etc. Apple could have allowed pre-ordering the last two go-arounds but it understood the PR value in the visuals of long lines.
I have no doubt the "early adopter" sales of the 3GS will be equal to or better than the 3G and absolutely smoke 2G sales (remember that hype-o-rama with news shows dedicating their entire hour to interviewing line waiters and new buyers). However, 3GS raw sales estimates in the half million range is no competitions for 2G lines around the block consisting of 400 people.
With the tracking thread here well over 5000 posts (5000!), not to mention all the 3G owners who complained they couldn't upgrade to what is essentially the same phone + a better cam and video I think its hard to make the case the 3GS is not in high demand or extremely anticipated.