UK iPhone launch: 18 staff and 3 customers in Winchester

SMS Text News reader and self described ‘Apple Fanboy’, Tom H, called me the other day to report his experience in Winchester on Friday evening last week.

He popped down with his brother to have a nose about. He has a semi strict policy of only buying the third generation of any Apple device and is, I think, sorely tempted by the iPhone.

He was quite underwhelmed to find that the Carphone Warehouse in Winchester was replete with 18 staffers whilst three customers (excluding including Tom and his brother) had a play about with devices.

Winchester is no small town. It’s a city serving Hampshire.

That must have been a wee bit annoying for the Carphone Warehouse team.

The extra 2 staff and security guard on duty for the evening at the o2 store in Euston Station were necessary. But then that store is ultra small and is easily mobbed by just 5 people.

I suspect it’ll probably a slow burn, then. No stampedes to the Carphone Warehouse in Hartlepool, then.

Whilst the nutters camped out all night at the Apple Store in Regent Street on Friday, the fact many stores (at least anecdotally) were comparatively empt isn’t bad news at all. I called my 29 year old friend and total normob (“normal mobile user”), Joanne, on Friday to ask her perspective.

She’d heard it was being launched. Everyone had. Even her dad knew about it. She’s a Vodafone customer and reasonably content (although like most Voda customers, she’s totally NAILED on her price plan — she’s committed to 70 quid a month yet still spends 120+ pounds because of their extremely expensive 12.5p texts and 35p cross-network calls).

Would she buy an iPhone?

Maybe, she reckoned. She’d need to see it first. She’ll have a look in a Carphone Warehouse when she can, she said.

But she might get one, she continued. Heh.

As she talked, she began to sell herself on the device as I listened. Fascinating.

She wouldn’t think twice about swapping to o2. 2x Fascinating.

So I wonder how many people are quietly popping into Carphone Warehouses, taking a look at the iPhone and silently plotting?

Who knows? Well, I’ll email Carphone Warehouse and ask.

Meantime, what’s your anecdotal experience of the launch?