Cool response for iPhone in Black Country despite Bullring queues
There was a scramble for Apple's latest iPhone models today but the new gadgets received a lukewarm response in the West Midlands.
Queues built up at the Bullring in Birmingham but there was no repeat of the scenes across the Black Country except for a handful of early birds.
Mobile phone stores were open at Merry Hill shopping centre by 8am but only a handful of customers arrived to get their hands on the new iPhone.
Apple has described the new iPhone 5S as the 'most forward-thinking smartphone in the world', while its iPhone 5C is a cheaper basic model.
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Queues began forming days ago at stores in London with hundreds eager to get their hands on the iPhone 5S which features an 8-megapixel camera, slow-motion video and a Touch ID which allows users to unlock their phone with the touch of a finger. It costs between £549 and £709.
The iPhone 5C comes in five colours – blue, green, pink, yellow and white – and costs between £469 and £549.
John Kynnersley, aged 41, from Kingswinford, was an early bird at Merry Hill to buy an iPhone 5s. The delivery driver had been all night at work and arrived at 7.30am to queue with five other people to get the new mobile phone from the Three store.
Mr Kynnersley said: "Any new technology generates excitement and when my contract ran out I wanted this phone."
Sales adviser Chris Carew, 23, from West Heath, Birmingham, said he came to Merry Hill to avoid the queues in Birmingham. He was second in a queue of six and managed to get the only white iPhone there.
He said: "I was expecting a queue, but really no-one was here."
Ade Beckford, 25, from Tettenhall left home early today to buy a new iPhone 5S from the EE store in Wolverhampton. "I love Apple products," he said.
