ONE SHOPPER does not a queue make, but Colin Byrnes from Glenageary wasn't complaining as he became the first person to buy the new Apple iPhone in the State since it went on sale early yesterday morning.
While queues were forming elsewhere in Dublin for tickets to watch 73-year-old Leonard Cohen play in June, Byrnes was the only person to turn up at 8am to buy Apple's much-anticipated and much-hyped newcomer.
"I saw it in America and I liked its look and design," he said, before continuing on his way to work, somewhat bemused by the attention he was receiving at the Carphone Warehouse store on Grafton Street.
Business picked up after this quiet start, said Stephen Mackarel, chief executive of Carphone Warehouse, who said his staff were "flat out" all day dealing with inquiries about the combined phone, music player and internet access device.
"It's very encouraging. The iPhone accounted for half of our total mobile phone sales yesterday. I haven't seen a single phone take that share of sales in my 15 years in the business."
Mr Mackarel put the lack of early morning queues down to the fact that customers had pre-ordered more than 1,000 phones on the internet. The fact that the iPhone is hitting Ireland nine months after its US launch and four months after the UK might also be a factor.
O2 chief executive Danuta Grey had predicted last month that "Apple freaks" would be "queuing out the door" for the iPhone. The company didn't have an early-morning launch yesterday, but a spokesman said the reaction was "great" and sales were going "really well".
Neither company would issue sales figures; Carphone Warehouse said it was prevented by Apple from doing so and O2 said footfall figures were not available.
Most of those looking at the phones in shops yesterday seemed to belong to the curious rather than the converted. "It's a cool interface and really easy to use," said student Stephen Murphy, "but too dear for me just now."
Two iPhone models are on sale in Ireland, for €399 and €499, while monthly fees vary from €45 to €100. Customers must opt in to an 18-month contract. Packages are more expensive than similar offerings in the UK, but the retailers say this is largely because phone costs are higher here.
