Extended London Store Hours

Apple has called a press conference at its London-based flagship shop on Regent Street for next Tuesday. As a result, the store will not open to the public until 4:00 p.m. that day.

Employees of the store, however, have been asked to arrive at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday for a 90 minute briefing. They say Apple plans to extend the store hours till 10:00 p.m. that day and that employees will be asked to remain on site until 11:00 p.m.

Additionally, Apple at around 10:00 p.m. last night is said to have begun some modifications to the store’s theater area. No further details were available. It’s widely expected that the Cupertino-based company will use the press conference to divulge plans for its iPhone launch in Europe.

[quote author=“willrob”]Extended London Store Hours

Apple has called a press conference at its London-based flagship shop on Regent Street for next Tuesday. As a result, the store will not open to the public until 4:00 p.m. that day.

Employees of the store, however, have been asked to arrive at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday for a 90 minute briefing. They say Apple plans to extend the store hours till 10:00 p.m. that day and that employees will be asked to remain on site until 11:00 p.m.

Additionally, Apple at around 10:00 p.m. last night is said to have begun some modifications to the store’s theater area. No further details were available. It’s widely expected that the Cupertino-based company will use the press conference to divulge plans for its iPhone launch in Europe.

somethings up. why would apple extend the opening hours? if it was just an announcement concerning iphone carriers, i do not think they would stay open late . . .
i dont know, but could iphone be on sale on tuesday??

[quote author=“the-irish-guy”]
somethings up. why would apple extend the opening hours? if it was just an announcement concerning iphone carriers, i do not think they would stay open late . . .
i dont know, but could iphone be on sale on tuesday??

Looks like something definitely involving selling things - so whatever it is something will be happening to keep the store open late. If it is NOT the iPhone then it would have to be something BIG to think it would keep the store open that late…

Curious

[quote author=“rattyuk”][quote author=“the-irish-guy”]
somethings up. why would apple extend the opening hours? if it was just an announcement concerning iphone carriers, i do not think they would stay open late . . .
i dont know, but could iphone be on sale on tuesday??

Looks like something definitely involving selling things - so whatever it is something will be happening to keep the store open late. If it is NOT the iPhone then it would have to be something BIG to think it would keep the store open that late…
Curious

Its the iPhone. It just has to be. And the reason the store is staying open late is either:

a) because they’ll be putting it out on display for the first time in the UK and punters will swarm into the store to have a look at it.

OR.. and wouldn’t this be a biggie..

b) as suggested above, its going to go on sale immediately, in a massive retail surprise, taking everyone else including the competition completely by surprise and wrong-footing everyone.

The presentation is due to take about an hour or so, and starts at 10am. The Store isn’t opening to the public until 4pm.

Now the press will want some time to look and play with the phones, which will no doubt be on display for them but do they need 5 hours to do that??

Maybe.. the iPhone goes on sale in the UK at 4pm next Tuesday.

[quote author=“rattyuk”][quote author=“the-irish-guy”]
somethings up. why would apple extend the opening hours? if it was just an announcement concerning iphone carriers, i do not think they would stay open late . . .
i dont know, but could iphone be on sale on tuesday??

Looks like something definitely involving selling things - so whatever it is something will be happening to keep the store open late. If it is NOT the iPhone then it would have to be something BIG to think it would keep the store open that late…

Curious

Wow! I was wondering too when I saw the change in opening hours.

Have all the new iPods made it to the UK stores yet?
Has iPod Touch in particular arrived?

here is the whole story and note that Best Buy is stocking up on iTouch for sale on Monday… another shocker.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/09/15/apples_london_store_plans_extended_hours_following_event_more.html

I vote B in Tommo post because if it was for viewing they could just put their revolving displays a la MWSF 07 in the windows. But it might only be the iTouch and not the iPhone

[quote author=“SNIPUS”]I vote B in Tommo post because if it was for viewing they could just put their revolving displays a la MWSF 07 in the windows. But it might only be the iTouch and not the iPhone

I don’t think the touch would get extra-special treatment like this. It hasn’t in the US.

Regent Street Apple Store employees are being given a 90-minute briefing prior to the store opening, and then being asked to stay until 11pm. The Store isn’t even opening until 4pm. Something major’s going on there for sure, and it has to be more than the iPod touch simply going on sale. It isn’t as if they’re going to get queues of people outside the store for the touch, after all.

.. but the iPhone would be a different kettle of fish.

I think its fair to say that the iPhone launch hype on a scale we saw in the US is unthinkable in the UK or in Europe, and we aren’t going to see queues around the block for it in anywhere near the same numbers. Everything is “bigger” in the US, from Floridians’ waist lines to product launch extravaganzas and the hysteria which accompanies them, and Apple may not want a direct comparison between the outrageously successful US launch and a UK/Euro launch that could only ever be considered a poor distant cousin at best. So rather than set the stage for a build-up to a UK launch that might be considered disappointing by the media who will inevitably compare it to the US launch, maybe they’re going to go with the element of surprise and just launch the damn thing totally unexpectedly and out of the blue, in a move certain to make headlines.

I’m just wildly speculating and living up to my old sig, “Devil’s Advocate,” of course

[quote author=“Tommo_UK”]Maybe.. the iPhone goes on sale in the UK at 4pm next Tuesday.

Could the fact that iPod touch appears not to be shipping from the online store until 28th, yet is already in retail stores in the US (and even Cancom (UK) says in stock 19th on their web site) - be explained by the need not to give the game away - so online touch buyers can switch to iPhone if they want? Even the price is probably the same.

I look forward to a possible email on Tuesday evening from the Apple online store. Unfortunately my local Apple Store won’t open for at least another week.

[quote author=“Tommo_UK”] So rather than set the stage for a build-up to a UK launch that might be considered disappointing by the media who will inevitably compare it to the US launch, maybe they’re going to go with the element of surprise and just launch the damn thing totally unexpectedly and out of the blue, in a move certain to make headlines.

Further to my previous post, it also strikes me that this would be a perfect way for Apple to avoid the iPhone sales numbers guessing game which went stratospheric over the launch weekend and ultimately led to all the negative press about “missing sales estimates” and “disappointing launch numbers” and the rest of that bullshit.
If they launch-by-stealth on Tuesday at the Regent Street store, rolling out availability over the course of a few days to other stores nationwide, it would wrong-foot all the Dvoraks and Enderles (not to mention the scum over at The Register) intent on nay-saying a high-profile launch along US-lines.

It seems a bit unlikely to me, but nothing’s impossible with this company.

[quote author=“quantman”][quote author=“rattyuk”][quote author=“the-irish-guy”]

Wow! I was wondering too when I saw the change in opening hours.

Have all the new iPods made it to the UK stores yet?
Has iPod Touch in particular arrived?

Anyone have any info on the questions above?

Only the touch is missing, and the Store actually told me they weren’t expected until early October. When I said surely you mean end of September, she said she didn’t expect them in the actual Store until October, but frankly I doubt she knows for sure. Apple Store employees are last in line to know, the same as the rest of us.

[quote author=“Tommo_UK”][quote author=“Tommo_UK”] So rather than set the stage for a build-up to a UK launch that might be considered disappointing by the media who will inevitably compare it to the US launch, maybe they’re going to go with the element of surprise and just launch the damn thing totally unexpectedly and out of the blue, in a move certain to make headlines.

Further to my previous post, it also strikes me that this would be a perfect way for Apple to avoid the iPhone sales numbers guessing game which went stratospheric over the launch weekend and ultimately led to all the negative press about “missing sales estimates” and “disappointing launch numbers” and the rest of that bullshit.
If they launch-by-stealth on Tuesday at the Regent Street store, rolling out availability over the course of a few days to other stores nationwide, it would wrong-foot all the Dvoraks and Enderles (not to mention the scum over at The Register) intent on nay-saying a high-profile launch along US-lines.

It seems a bit unlikely to me, but nothing’s impossible with this company.

Doesn’t the probable carrier for the iPhone in the UK (On2?) have retail outlets? If so perhaps they may give the game away.

[quote author=“Tommo_UK”]Only the touch is missing, and the Store actually told me they weren’t expected until early October. When I said surely you mean end of September, she said she didn’t expect them in the actual Store until October, but frankly I doubt she knows for sure. Apple Store employees are last in line to know, the same as the rest of us.

So what is the logistic behind the event if the iPhone is actually put on sale on the same Tuesday afternoon. Would a van truck arrive in the morning, with no Store employee around, only to leave its precious load in the back of the store? or would the iPhones be already there a couple of days before?

[quote author=“carbonat”]So what is the logistic behind the event if the iPhone is actually put on sale on the same Tuesday afternoon. Would a van truck arrive in the morning, with no Store employee around, only to leave its precious load in the back of the store? or would the iPhones be already there a couple of days before?

Who knows? They could arrive the very same day for all we know… or they could be there already, all wrapped up in black plastic wrap in the storeroom…

Or they may not be due to arrive until November after all

SNIPUS:Yes, O2 have retail outlets all over the place, but there’s no sign of anything afoot there. I wouldn’t expect there to be though if this is going to be a surprise launch.

I still think its extremely unlikely but its certainly fun to speculate about!

In that case, I’m inclined to agree that we may very well see a surprise iPhone launch and availability on Tuesday! That would throw a lot of the pundits off!

At least demo units avaliable in stores, if not sales inventory?

The more I think of it, the more it makes sense!

Check this.. a lone iPhone page hidden away in the Apple iTunes UK section, unlinked to by any other Apple site page. There’s nothing on the iPhone anywhere else on the UK (or any non-US) site:

http://www.apple.com/uk/itunes/sync/iphone.html

.. compare it closely with the US version and you’ll see subtle differences, like the (fuzzy) text on the main pic - its got a US phone number on it and has FPO stamped across it probably indicating its just there as a placeholder, and the placeholder-icons in the body text .

http://www.apple.com/itunes/sync/iphone.html

It does seem like they’re getting ready for the UK launch in earnest.