Apple watchers have been queue-observing today to try to gauge the success of the latest iteration of the iPhone, the 3G S.
Apple Stores opened early, at 7am, for launch day around the US. I was outside the Corte Madera outlet (pictured) where enthusiasm seemed almost as strong as when the original iPhone launched two years ago.
I counted 75 people in line at 7am. This compared favourably to the 99 I counted two years earlier when the iPhone went on sale at a more civilised 6pm.
There were two queues – one for pre-orders and one for those just coming on the day, and there were loud cheers and whoops as the doors opened.
Judging by reports from elsewhere, the queues were smaller than when the iPhone 3G went on sale a year ago. I saw the line going round the block outside the San Francisco store then, but Cnet reports only around 100 people at opening time this year.
It looks like the 3G S will provide another big spike to iPhone sales and there is the added attraction of a cheaper $99 3G version.
Gene Munster, Piper Jaffray analyst, said in a research note he expected the new iPhone – costing a subsidised $199 and $299 for 16Gb and 32Gb versions – to sell 500,000 units in its first weekend and contribute to 5m iPhone sales for the quarter to the end of June.
