iPhone 3G S global launch sees smaller lines, quieter reception (update)
By Thomas Ricker 
posted June 19th 2009 3:19AM
posted June 19th 2009 3:19AM
Update: According to O2, sales for the 3G S have already surpassed numbers for the iPhone 3G during last year's launch. So it's possible that the pre-orders were in full effect here. However, you have to remember that Europe and O2 in the UK in particular had very serious problems meeting demand at the time of the iPhone 3G launch last year. So this statement likely says more about inventory management than it does the demand of the 3G S vs the 3G.
[images courtesy of Richard Lai and mrgeoffb]
Someone on MacRumors pointed out that the original iPhone and iPhone 3G launched at 7pm when Regent Street is bustling, a far cry from today's launch time of 7am when Regent Street is empty
No one cares about the iPhone and no one cares about waiting in line for one.
Except for Engadget of course.
Gotta make your quota or Cupertino might cut off the checks, right?
Sure there's less buzz. Especially when there aren't any Wii like shortages. Why bother if Apple's supply-chain is so good.
I do say, Good sir, this new iPhone 3GS is an improvement of the most minor in sorts. Not meriting queuing for extended durations.
Why yes indeed, not worth missing a spot of tea at all!
Every brit you've ever heard
No need to line up early this time...
When you can reserve a phone online, and it will be waiting for you at the Apple Store of your choice what is the point of lining up super early to make sure you get one, since you already have one waiting.
Actually I think the problem is that o2 are rubbish and won't do a 12 month contract (18 minimum) so everyone with an iphone 3g is still tied in for 6 months unless they want to shell out a huge amount of cash (£300 ish for me) to get out of the contract early.
I purchased my iPhones days after release to avoid the lines. But, if I economics were different I would have pre-ordered and avoided the lines. If you look at the pre-orders you will notice that many had multiple bad experiences in line and wisely chose this option. It also allowed Apple and ATT to not disappoint so many people with lines, snafu's with facilitating the activation based on contract type. Wow, they might have got it right finally and the H*R's are out? Typical...................
So much for hating on the Pre... the iPhone pulled even less.
Re-read the OP, folks. There's a little update there with regard to sales in Europe vs. the 3G launch. Oh.
We are not mac fanboy's. We run XP on all of our business systems and company laptops. We have a MacBook with XP on bootcamp.
I bought the 2G a month after it was released. I still have it. My wife has had a blackberry for 2 years and is on #2 because of hardware issues. She was/is a blackberry loyalist until she HAD to use my iphone for a weekend last month. We pre-ordered a 3G S for her.
Also, according to the information coming through here, the pre-order sales are on par with the 3G sales. I know it's only a minor upgrade, but you are buying hardware with a fantastic App program that Blackberry has not quite matched.
As for the Pre. If you don't live in a metro area, the service is terrible. I don't really like AT&T pricing, but until better service and hardware competitors emerge AT&T gets my cash.
? Of course the lines are small. It's not a "revolutionary" like the original. This is just a little more memory and some small tweaky updates, most of which have been on phones for a decade. The new SUPER phone can cut & paste, take video and has voice control, which many phones have done for years. YAWN!
Oh, right...it has a compass. LOL
O2 can say whatever they want - but the iPhone wasn't the hit of the summer to begin with, in UK and all of EU.
I walked past the Birmingham Bullring Apple Store today and there wasn't much more chaos as usual - just a bunch of chavs with hoods flashing their new 3GS to the laydeez.
No, thanx - methinks I'll stick to my (classier) BB
Stop the apple bashing they are in business to make money if you like the product buy it if not there are many other devices to choose from. It is obvious from a target market standpoint that this update targets 1st gen iPhone owners with expiring contracts and new adopters. There will be another device in about a year that targets the current 3G owners. Get over it. Apple has done a fair job keeping older iPhones current. Somehow people think that the small difference in the 3G and 3G S is apples way of failing to innovate the phone. No it's an attemp to capture new customers without leaving early adopters behind. I have a 1st gen iPhone and it is still as good as phones that came out this year except for the edge connection. If you don't like the iPhone or the pre for that matter don't buy them. The iPhone is far from perfect nothing is. It is an innovative product that has influenced companies that have been creating cell phones for a decade. This is apples year 2 it is quite a product for 2 years in it's evolution. Who else offers you an upgraded device and new features (os 3) included with the initial price of your Device (upgrade free to iPhone users).
iJustine must have been the only one in line.
man, there's a lot of hate out there. I love the "in Europe...." comments. Do you realize "Europe" is over a dozen countries, all with different rules, regulations, cultures, and traditions? Idiot.
And anyone who READS would know that the iPhone 3GS already outsold the 3G in preorders alone. See, preorders. That's why there are no lines. Apple/AT&T finally figured out (again) that it's OK to let people get a phone in the mail and activate it themselves.
Try getting your news from more than one source. I like engadget, but it's one of about a dozen sources I get tech news from. That way, I learn about things like "pre-orders" and "Linux". (see, that was a hit on engadget for too much Apple news...)
And to everyone who says it's not a "real upgrade", you're delusional. It's 2-3 times faster than the 3G. These speed bumps have been verified by several sources. Twice the speed, twice the RAM, twice the storage. That's enough for me. Video and voice control are nice extras, but it's about speed for me. Saying this isn't a real upgrade is like saying a 4 year old Dell running Windows XP is just like a modern Dell running Windows XP, cause they look the same. It's about speed, people!
You people are funny.
The guy who mentioned European culture has a point. Our system doesn't work like the American one which Apple seems to be trying to push over here. We don't pay for our phones on contract, not unless it's a really cheap contract.
Example:
Look at the iPhone Tarrif
http://shop.o2.co.uk/update/paymonth.html
£30 a month, then £100 for the 8GB iPhone 3Gs with only 75 minutes and 125 texts?
Look at the G1:
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobile-phones/phones/pay-monthly/t-mobile/g1-black/price-plans/
Free, £30 a month, 800 Minutes, Unlimited Texts.
The Iphone is a rip off, the Tariff is a rip off and nobody here wants to pay for a phone when taking out a contract.
There's no 8GB 3Gs.
Your pay monthly systems don't seem any different than the US. You do pay for iPhones. You pay for Blackberries. Lower end phones are free with a two year plan.
The G1 has been out a while, older phones are cheaper.
Your unlimited data plans are better priced than ours, I'm jealous.
You guys do realize that it's just a phone, right? No need to get your britches in a bunch. Apple is not your mother, father, or aunt, they're a COMPANY.
Now everyone take a deep breath.
pwned!
maybe its just the fact that the new iPhone sucked. When you do minimal upgrades, dont expect lines
Right...A lot of people talking trash about the iPhone 3Gs. I don't blame them its not a high profile device in terms of a upgrade. However, I had a steady line outside my store (non-Apple) of 20-30 people ALL day long and sold more iPhones in the first 24 hours than in both previous launches combined. Where else are you going to get a 32GB phone that has such broadly accepted means of music, photo and video transfer? Not a Windows Mobile device (even though I rock a HTC Touch HD 8285), not a Nokia (although I have a E71), not a Motorola or LG, Sony Ericcson, HTC or Samsung device. The upgrades may be something that should have launched on the iPhone 3G but when people say this should have been launched in the 90's - 600mhz processors in desktops were still not uncommon and 32GB of storage space wasn't either. Don't whine because the iPhone happens to be so glitzy and blogged about and annoying (as it is) but it happens to sell incredibly well, make its wireless carriers tons of cash, and STILL beat most of the competition in terms of feature sets. PLUS it sets the bar for wireless carrier push - every carrier now wants devices just like this that make data usage so compulsory and useful that no customer will want to turn it off or churn. I do not own a Apple product (can't flash those custom ROMs) but I sure do love to sell them for the less techie public.
please speak of these "feature sets" that you speak of, that doesn't include the words, "it just works"? tool
What the hell is an iPhone ?
@TimmyRaa
What jap phones have that iphone doesn't:
HD video capture
waterproofing
ISO control of camera
Shutter control of camera
Optical zoom for camera
Focus tracking for camera
touch focus
Video calls
e-wallet
high quality screens
HD screens
replacable batteries
autofocus
flash for the camera
universal power charger/datacables, etc etc..
10 megapixel cameras that are better than average compact cameras
temperature sensor
UV sensor
fingerprint detector for phone security
facial recognition for phone security
the list goes on...
Oh wow, that is a delayed response!
Yes, granted there are some features you've listed which the iPhone is lacking, and which are actually nice to have to real people. But the majority of what you've mentioned are camera features, and most of the rest are simply *nice* to have. Why not go the whole hog, and list each of the ISO exposure levels as separate features...
Jap phones are better because they have:
1. ISO 50
2. ISO 100
3. ISO 200
4. ISO 400
5. ISO 800
6. ISO 1600
7. ISO 3200
8. They can record video at 15fps
9. They can record video at 30fps
10. They can record video at 640x480
11. They can record video at 1280x720
12. They can record video at 1920x1080
And for the record, the iPhone 3GS does have autofocus and touch focus.