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The newest versions of the iPhone, the 8 and 8 Plus, will go on sale in the UK for the first time this morning.
But traditional queues outside the technology giant’s flagship retail stores may be smaller than usual, with a third new device, the ultra premium iPhone X, still to be released later in the year.
The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are the first smartphones from Apple to support wireless battery charging, as well as improved camera and screen specifications.
The two phones also house Apple’s new A11 Bionic processor chip, which the tech giant says is the “most powerful and smartest” ever in a smartphone and makes the 8 up to 70% faster than the previous iPhone.
But some consumers appear to be willing to skip this generation of the device in order to wait for the special edition iPhone X, which features Apple’s first ever edge-to-edge screen and facial recognition technology.
This can be used to unlock the phone and make payments via Apple Pay, as well control new animated emoji – named Animoji – using their facial expressions.
The iPhone X is due to be released on November 3, starting at £999, making it the most expensive iPhone ever.
Technology expert and founder of news site Pocket-lint Stuart Miles said the iPhone 8 would be a different kind of Apple launch.
“The people that are considered the die-hard fans are more than likely, I suspect, to wait for the iPhone X in November,” he said.
“I still expect the iPhone 8 to do very well, but not to see the usual rush to get it first, as the people that this phone is now aimed at aren’t the people who queue up overnight.
“That comes in November.”
As well as the 8 and 8 Plus, is a third generation Apple Watch – the Series 3 – which comes with its own mobile data connection capabilities for the first time, meaning it can be used to make calls independent from an iPhone.
The new Apple TV 4K, the first streaming box from the firm that supports ultra high definition video, also goes on sale.
