Survey of Regent Street iPhone 4S Line Reveals Record Crowd and Other Tidbits

regent street iphone 4s survey
UK insurance firm Protect Your Bubble today conducted a survey of the iPhone 4S line at Apple's Regent Street retail store in London, finding a record line of 778 people just as the store opened for sales.

Analysis of the data, comparing against previous Regent St exit polls on the iPhone 4, iPad and iPad 2 launches, shows that the crowd of 778 people for the iPhone 4S comfortably beats the previous record holder of 668 for the original iPhone 4; 662 for the iPad 2; and 451 for the original iPad.

The company has also put together an infographic highlighting a number of pieces of data collected in surveys of the crowd. Among the most interesting results:

- 53% of those in line were there because they missed the pre-order window, while an additional 7% thought the iPhone 4S was only available in-store. A substantial fraction of the crowd was also there primarily for the experience, with 18% saying that simply wanted "to be there" and 11% noting that they were there because they were "die hard Apple fans".

- Nearly half of the crowd was upgrading from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S, while 35% were lining up to purchase their first iPhone.

- The new 8-megapixel camera was cited most frequently (37%) as the "standout feature" of the iPhone 4S, with Siri (34%) registering in a strong second place. But 33% of the crowd viewed Siri as a gimmick rather than a truly useful feature.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

New iPhone 17 Pro Details: Brighter Display, Best Battery Life, and More

Wednesday September 3, 2025 5:33 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models will feature a number of significant display, thermal, and battery improvements, according to new late-stage rumors. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature displays with higher brightness, making it more suitable for use in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. The iPhone 16 Pro and...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week

Tuesday September 2, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Just one week before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series, an analyst has shared new price estimates for the devices. Here are J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee's price estimates for the iPhone 17 series in the United States, according to 9to5Mac: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 16 $799 iPhone 17 ...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

Survey: Nearly 70% of Users Plan to Upgrade to iPhone 17

Monday September 1, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
A new survey has found that nearly seven in ten iPhone owners in the United States plan to upgrade to an iPhone 17 model, signaling strong demand ahead of Apple's expected unveiling of the devices at its September 9 keynote. Smartphone price comparison platform SellCell surveyed over 2,000 U.S.-based iPhone users in August to assess upgrade interest and brand loyalty before Apple's event....

Top Rated Comments

kalsta Avatar
181 months ago
People need to remember that Siri is still beta software. Of course it's not perfect on launch day, but how could you look at it and not be impressed?!

To anyone who says this is just a gimmick that we'll all forget about in time, all I can say is that you truly lack the vision to see where all this is going. In five years, you're going to wonder how you ever called a phone 'smart' before you could have a conversation with it.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
181 months ago
it's standing as a gimmick is strictly dependent on how useful it is. If it works, no longer a gimmick
Exactly. The mouse was a gimmick when it first appeared. Eventually, it became an indispensable part of working with technology. Siri will be the same.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mal Avatar
181 months ago
Exactly. The mouse was a gimmick when it first appeared. Eventually, it became an indispensable part of working with technology. Siri will be the same.

Yep. Remember that it was Apple who took the mouse from gimmick to indispensable too, even though they didn't invent it.

Theres a slight difference here.

The mouse was brand new technology at the time, never before seen.

Concepts for Siri style devices were demoed by apple in 1987. There are thousands of voice controllable AI products out there...its not new....its just new to phones (even then not really since similar products have been on Android for a while).

Give it a year and Siri will be forgotten. Give it a month and you'll no longer be using it.

I'm not going to be that pessimistic. You could be right, but Siri is so much better than the Android and other voice solutions, and on a device with so many potential uses (especially if it becomes extensible so that other developers can add their own hooks to it), I suspect that we'll eventually wonder what we did with phone before voice control. Granted, there are many situations in which voice control is not beneficial, but for many situations, it will be very useful. Hands-free operation while driving a vehicle just got much safer, for instance.

jW
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
subsonix Avatar
181 months ago
100% of the participants in the poll had never used it, since it took place in the queue outside. So the 33% figure is a measure of expectation, nothing else. The most facsinating thing about it to me is the calendar scheduling and the geo-fence feature and the fact that it learns from behaviour and remember things about you and your contacts, sort of like a personal secretary.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bryanl Avatar
181 months ago
Before the concept of pre-order, I could totally understand the lines. Now I'm just baffled.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
azzarocks86 Avatar
181 months ago
Please check statistics before re-publishing them

Thought the statistics for Mac owners, PC owners and "both" owners seemed a bit odd and after 5 seconds of thought and some kindergarten math I realized why...
39% I own a Mac
34% I own a PC
12% I own both

This leaves 15% of people lining up on launch day apparently not owning a computer? I know apple are pushing to make iOS devices a replacement for a desktop or laptop but I hardly think this change has happened in the year between the release of the iPhone 4 and the 4S, certainly not amongst the consumers who are willing to line up on launch day.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)