The Regent Street (London) store received a huge shipment of iPhones for Friday’s first day of sales, and Apple Sr. V-P of Retail Ron Johnson has flown to London to attend the event, along with Sr. V-P Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller. By closing time Thursday there were fewer than five persons in the waiting line, perhaps because of the 35 degree temperature. Similar to the U.S. iPhone debut, Apple store employees will be handing out bottled water and hot coffee to those in the waiting line, which first moves into the store at 6:02 p.m. Check this blog by Tomek as he waited in the queue, and this account by Felix that included time with Phil Schiller, and some videos he captured.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve not seen any iPhone advertising here yet. Am I just missing something or are Apple trying a different technique here in Britain? No fever pitch media build up, no obvious ad campaign, really just nothing.
Maybe they’re expecting the local Apple aficionados to spread the word … the iPhone is a spectacular word of mouth device of course. Interesting that it’s so different to America on the eve of launch day.
Have to agree, the overall approach has been fairly muted to the extent that the average man in the street still doesn’t know squat about the iPhone.
Deliberate policy?
john, get off the tube at oxford circus and you will see large posters from o2 and apple…same with the apple store. not to mention the mention the media coverage in the us and uk since june
That’s all well and good aaa, but what people tend to forget is that most people from the UK do NOT live in London. Most people in the UK live miles from an Apple Store too.
Further, lots of people in the UK have a mobile phone on Pay as you Go and most people do not pay £35+ per month for their mobile phone. I would be utterly shocked if iPhone was anything but a flop here.
I’ve seen the iPhone adverts on TV lots and I don’t live in London, it was on the Gadget show recently. It’s been in most press. Although it does seem to have generated plenty of negative press, but the BBC are always anti-Apple anything. (I’m bored of the N95 comparisons, it’s like comparing a Mondeo with a Mercedes, woo they both have wheels.)
I think the only reason it doesn’t seem as hyped is because it was ultra hyped in the US when it came out it was brand new, if this was the first launch it would be different, but the iPhone has been out for awhile now.
I very much doubt the iPhone is going to be a flop anywhere.
@Neil Yes lots do have Pay-as-you-go phones and yes most people don’t live in London or near an Apple Store, but nearly everyone lives within a stones throw of either an O2 or Carphone Warehouse shop…and after doing the math – actually my tax returns and adding up all my top-up charges for calls and texts, £35 per month is well within reach plus not toting around my laptop will be a pleasure. My 2G iPod is on it’s last legs too so that also helps. The all-in-one small form factor makes an awful lot of sense and since passing on the Touch because it’s just too crippled, the iPhone ticks all the boxes.
It’s all over Sky news here they’ve got a special iPhone page up!! Can’t believe how much PR coverage they’ve received..
http://news.sky.com/skynews/iphone/home
All UK Apple Staff get free iPhones, only full-time, lucky or what. Poor part-times get nothing, haha.