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iPhone queues already!

That's hilarious. These people should get lives.

I'm getting an iPhone tomorrow but I'm getting down there after work. I don't anticipate any more effort than that.
 
That's very sad indeed. I don't expect the same level of queueing as there was in the States here. 4pm Friday at a push maybe, but not the day before.
 
I can confirm this story to be true. Although the phrase "queues forming" is possibly overstating it a little. I just popped down to Regent Street to, ahem, soak up a little pre-iphone release atmos - Hey, it's a dull cold lunchtime! What I am supposed to do with it?

Anyway, outside are a couple of fanboys in their early 20s - Both sitting on camping chairs, one with a MacBook. I expect they'll be the only ones until lunchtime tomorrow - However, after that point is anyone's guess. I'm gonna get there around 6:40 - I hope that there's loads of staff on, cos I've got me a hankering for one of those badboys.

d
 
dombookpro said:
I can confirm this story to be true. Although the phrase "queues forming" is possibly overstating it a little. I just popped down to Regent Street to, ahem, soak up a little pre-iphone release atmos - Hey, it's a dull cold lunchtime! What I am supposed to do with it?

Anyway, outside are a couple of fanboys in their early 20s - Both sitting on camping chairs, one with a MacBook. I expect they'll be the only ones until lunchtime tomorrow - However, after that point is anyone's guess. I'm gonna get there around 6:40 - I hope that there's loads of staff on, cos I've got me a hankering for one of those badboys.

d
Click to expand...

did you snap any pictures?
 
Whilst it's not really indicative of the populous, BBC have a poll asking whether you're buying the iPhone or not tomorrow. Less than 15% of 1,300 respondents say 'Yes', so hardly a reason to queue up the night before.

I agree that they're only there for the publicity angle, but it would be so funny for someone to turn up with an unlocked iPhone at the event before the doors open just to steal the limelight :D
 
I wouldnt say this is sad since I waited online for over 12 hours on June 29th (First one to walk out of the store with one in Menlo Park NJ!). It is a fun atmosphere and I do not regret taking the day off to sit in a mall even though I could have walked in at 7:00pm and still gotten one. With that said, in the States we didnt know how many each store was going to have and assumed that they would sell out quickly. By now I would say its safe to say Apple has a more than sufficient supply for the demand in the UK/Germany/etc. If you are lining up, have fun. If you are not really a fanboy then just go whenever, you will get one.
 
Devil's Refugee said:
Whilst it's not really indicative of the populous, BBC have a poll asking whether you're buying the iPhone or not tomorrow. Less than 15% of 1,300 respondents say 'Yes', so hardly a reason to queue up the night before.
Click to expand...

But that's a BBC news poll, which is hardly representative. Run the same poll here, and while it'll be biased, you're not looking for a representative sample as you would in an opinion poll, you want pure numbers. I don't think you'll find any shortage of takers for at least most of their stock.
 
Actually, only about 90 people on here responded to the "UK buyers - where will you be" poll, so maybe demand won't be that huge even among the Mac faithful. Big, but not huge is my prediction for the queues - especially when you factor in the number of outlets selling the things.
 
Devil's Refugee said:
Whilst it's not really indicative of the populous, BBC have a poll asking whether you're buying the iPhone or not tomorrow. Less than 15% of 1,300 respondents say 'Yes', so hardly a reason to queue up the night before.
Click to expand...

15%!! I think that is every reason to queue up the night before!!

UK poulation = 60 million (source)

15% of 60 million is 9 million.

With 1300 iPhone outlets (source), that is 6923 people waiting outside each outlet!!
 
alFR said:
Actually, only about 90 people on here responded to the "UK buyers - where will you be" poll, so maybe demand won't be that huge even among the Mac faithful. Big, but not huge is my prediction for the queues - especially when you factor in the number of outlets selling the things.
Click to expand...

I guess, but plenty of people I know who don't even have Macs are waiting for this. I'm starting to side with you... big, but not huge, queues. I was at both the Leopard launch and the opening of Regent Street, and the latter was stupidly massive as anyone there will attest to. The cost of the iPhone is a factor though, and like you said, the number of outlets selling them. I guess us Macheads will queue at the Apple store just because, hell, even if the O2 stores nearby have no queues and plenty of stock :D.
 
LMAO, 6000 people per store.

How many of the 6m residents give a sh*t about the iPhone though. Numbercrunching is great when it means something. I hope you're not an analyst.....
 
1. The whole population of the UK isn't eligible to buy an iPhone (no credit card, under 18, etc.)
2. The whole population of the UK isn't interested in the iPhone (in another mobile contract, hate Apple, think it's too expensive, old and don't want "one of those newfangled mobile things" etc.).
3. The survey isn't representative.

Thus I think your estimate of 6000-odd people outside every store may be a little high. ;)
 
I think smr was being "funny" chaps, you know "joking"... I don't think you needed to deconstruct his figures and prove he was wrong :rolleyes:
 
It gets worse!

OK chaps I have improved my model! (I agree, it had flaws!)

This poll indicates the Apple Stores will be more popular (with 54% of day 1 sales). There are only 12 UK Apple Stores (source).

So, 54% of the 9,000,000 (or 4.86 million) iPhones will be sold in the 12 stores, meaning each Apple Store will have 405,000 people queueing outside it! If each person takes up 0.5m, the queues will be over 200km long!!
 
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