iPhone 3G hits London

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  • Friday saw the launch of the iPhone 3G, the second version of Apple's smartphone.

    As at the launch of the original iPhone a year ago, a queue formed at the Apple flagship store on London's Regent Street. The queue was, however, smaller this time, numbering only around 70 people. Almost none of those waiting were existing iPhone owners, because Apple stores in the UK are unable to process upgrades from the first- to second-generation handset.

    Prior to the store opening at 8:02am — the exact timing being a reference to the UK's exclusive carrier for the iPhone, O2 — ZDNet.co.uk polled some of those waiting for their phones to see what had piqued their interest.

    At the time of writing, however, reports were starting to suggest that there were major problems with the launch once it began. Apple's stores have been unable to activate the handsets because the process requires Internet Explorer, while the stores all use Macs. Also, O2's credit-checking systems appear to have crashed, at least temporarily.

    Caption by: David Meyer

  • Steve, who works for a law firm, avoided the first generation of the iPhone because it did not have 3G connectivity — it used the slower Edge data standard.

    "The iPhone 3G was quite hyped up on the internet," he told ZDNet.co.uk. "I started queuing at 3am." Steve added that he was switching provider from Orange — with whom he had a Nokia N95 — to O2 so he can get the iPhone.

    He also said that, while his workplace did use Microsoft Exchange — now supported for the first time by the iPhone — he would not be able to use his iPhone as a work device. "The company phones are BlackBerrys," he said. "It's unlikely they will let us change."

    Caption by: David Meyer

  • Brian had experienced the first iPhone, and was attracted by Apple's decision to open up the device to third-party applications.

    He was also keen on the new version's 3G capabilities. "The original one just wasn't fast enough," he said.

    "I like the Exchange compatibility too," he added. "I'm an IT consultant and need to have that technology behind me. The style of the phone also looks good for clients."

    Caption by: David Meyer

  • "The main reason I didn't buy the old iPhone was I couldn't put [third-party] software on there," said Steve. "Now that I can buy the programs I want, it opens it up as a useful tool."

    Steve, however, works for the government agency Defra, and said he would not be able to use his iPhone as a work device because it does not comply with the strict governmental security protocols. "They're sniffy about the devices they allow on their network," he said.

    Caption by: David Meyer

  • Zulfiqar, who works in website operations, said he had not been sure about the iPhone the first time round. "I had a Nokia N95, but I played around with my friends' iPhones and decided I wanted to get one," he said.

    He added that he had also been put off buying the first iPhone because he knew the second one would have new features like 3G. Asked whether he would use the Exchange compatibility, he said he would, but he would still not use the device as his official work phone. "They won't provision it at work, but I'll do it myself," he said.

    Caption by: David Meyer

  • Will said he had held off buying the first iPhone because "Apple have a history of getting their products right the second time, and also because I knew they'd probably make the second one cheaper".

    "I'm not a big believer in Wi-Fi, so 3G was quite important for me," he said, adding that he would not use it as his work phone because his employer used Lotus Notes rather than Exchange.

    Caption by: David Meyer

  • "I deliberately didn't get the old iPhone so I could get the new one," said Lydia, who works in digital advertising. "Apple normally upgrade pretty soon." She added that the first iPhone had been too expensive.

    Lydia also said she would not be trying to make use of the new iPhone's Exchange compatibility: "I don't want my work emails on my iPhone — no way!"

    Caption by: David Meyer

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As the iPhone 3G went on sale at 8:02am on Friday morning, ZDNet.co.uk spoke to those queuing for the device to find out what was motivating them

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Friday saw the launch of the iPhone 3G, the second version of Apple's smartphone.

As at the launch of the original iPhone a year ago, a queue formed at the Apple flagship store on London's Regent Street. The queue was, however, smaller this time, numbering only around 70 people. Almost none of those waiting were existing iPhone owners, because Apple stores in the UK are unable to process upgrades from the first- to second-generation handset.

Prior to the store opening at 8:02am — the exact timing being a reference to the UK's exclusive carrier for the iPhone, O2 — ZDNet.co.uk polled some of those waiting for their phones to see what had piqued their interest.

At the time of writing, however, reports were starting to suggest that there were major problems with the launch once it began. Apple's stores have been unable to activate the handsets because the process requires Internet Explorer, while the stores all use Macs. Also, O2's credit-checking systems appear to have crashed, at least temporarily.

Caption by: David Meyer

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