Gadget insurer Protect Your Bubble quizzed people this morning on their iPhone preferences and buying habits
Apple fans queueing outside its flagship store in Covent Garden this morning have expressed their preference for the iPhone 7 over the iPhone 7 Plus.
This is according to gadget insurer Protect Your Bubble, which surveyed the queue on their iPhone preferences and buying habits.
It found that 54 per cent were waiting in line for the iPhone 7, 38 per cent for the iPhone 7 Plus, and eight per cent were queuing for both handsets.
The 128GB capacity models, priced at £699 and £819 respectively, were the most popular choices, with ‘Jet Black’ (39 per cent) the favoured colour.
Almost half (48 per cent) were found to upgrade their handsets every time a new iPhone comes out, while nearly a third (32 per cent) claimed their current device was coming to the end of its life.
Camera popular
When asked what their favourite feature was on the new devices, 47 per cent said it was the updated camera, while just 17 per cent were looking forward to the removal of the headphone jack and inclusion of the wireless AirPods.
Just a third of those queueing said they were willing to spend £159 on these when they are released next month.
The Apple Watch Series 2 also goes on sale today. Over a quarter (27 per cent) were waiting to buy this new model with 44 per cent drawn most by its water resistant ability.
“Die hard” fans
When asked why they were queuing today, 59 per cent said it was because they were “die hard” Apple fans, with a further 38 per cent claiming they had missed out on pre-orders.
People were found to be carrying an average £1,390 of electronic gadgets each. Almost half (46 per cent) had broken gadgets before by dropping them or spilling liquids on them; 11 per cent had lost them while 12 per cent had been victims of theft.
Despite these stats, just 39 per cent said they had insured their hardware.
Atmosphere subdued
Protect Your Bubble global director Stephen Ebbett said:“Apple devotees are a hardy breed, willing to spend nights on end in global urban centres to be among the first in the world to pick up the manufacturer’s latest tech.
“This year, though, the usual carnival hubbub of the Covent Garden queue was rather more subdued – Apple’s announcement earlier this week that the new handsets had sold out in all colours in the UK meant that the majority of the Friday queuers had already reserved a slot to pick up a new phone. This didn’t stop speculative Apple fanatics turning up in the hope that they’d be able to pick something up on the day.
“While these new iterations of the iPhone aren’t the radical transformation that some were expecting, it’s a testament to Apple that they sold out so quickly. And with a large proportion of the surveyed turning up on the off-chance they could still pick a handset up on the day, it’s clear that the annual iPhone launch retains immense pulling power.”
