iPhone 3G S goes on sale in the US

23 hours of waiting for a 15 minute pick up

19 June 2009 12:39 GMT / By Stuart Miles

At the 5th Avenue Apple Store in New York, the last 24 hours has seen around 200 people join the line to get their hands on the new iPhone 3G S, as Americans start to quench their desire for all things Apple.

Although the 200 is only a fraction of the queue from last year's iPhone 3G launch, the Apple faithful in New York were queuing from the small hours.

However, it seemed that 23 hours in line waiting for the phone had taken its toll on the first three in line - students who had braved the rainy weather through the night.

Madly stuffing pastries in their mouths, supplied by Apple, the three seemed dazed and confused.

"It's what standing in line for 23 hours does to you", one of the three students, Keith, said almost in a coma-like state.

A quick straw poll of those queuing revealed some were upgrading from the 3G version while others finally taking the iPhone plunge.

"Up until now it hasn't been worth it, I think the new features have finally sold it to me", a women told us.

However the scene was very different in the UK. While US customers, greeted by the usual array of whoops and cheers from the store staff filed in grabbing their new phones happily in New York, reports are suggesting Carphone Warehouse customers in the UK have not been so lucky.

Although O2 and Apple's sales of the iPhone 3G S in the UK appear to have gone without a hitch, it seems delivery delays, and misinformation to customers expecting to be able to buy PAYG iPhone 3G Ss has marred Carphone Warehouse's debut of the new phone.