14 DAY TRIAL // The UK launch of the iPhone is scheduled for 6 PM on Friday, but some may argue that the launch itself has already started. Customers are already starting to form lines and considering the relatively small number of Apple Stores in the UK, the crowds are expected to be as big as for the original launch.
In Apple time, it is still over a day before the iPhone launches, but for the hardcore iPhone fans the launch has already started. Unlike the US, Europeans have had to wait a lot longer for the iPhone and have had a lot more time to crave its multi-touch goodness. It is not surprising that some people have already started waiting in line outside the Regent Street Apple Store in order to be the first to get their hands on the new device.
Macworld reports that the queue started small, with just two people, "equipped with warm weather clothing, folding chairs and grim, dogged determination to be among the first people in the UK to get hold of an iPhone." Similar to the US launch where initially there were only a handful of people camping outside the stores, the crowds are expected to grow very large.
This is a positive first sign for the first European launch, which is closely watched by everyone. The combination of lack of 3G capabilities and the relatively high price tag as well as availability from only one carrier were all listed as good reasons why the iPhone is less likely to do as well here as in the US. If the UK launch goes well, the rest of the European launches will likely be the same. Much like the iPod, the iPhone may not boast most features, but it does offer a very compelling user experience and ease of use that no other manufacturer has been able to at least match, let alone best.