The expected lines outside Apple’s stores in London and beyond were still 400-strong but down 60% on last year’s iPhone 6 launch

The now-yearly queue for the new iPhone release was back again, but outside Apple’s Covent Garden store – the biggest in Europe – the mass of people queuing for the just released iPhone 6S wasn’t quite as big as last year.

Some die-hard fans queued overnight to be the first few to get their hands on the new iPhone 6S or 6S Plus, of course. Front of the queue was 29-year-old Sam Shaikh, from Stratford, who had camped outside the store “since 8.30pm on Monday night” and had been the first in line for the iPhone 6 last year.

Queue at the Covent Garden Apple Store. Security guard says it seems they were expecting more people. #iphone6sLive http://pic.twitter.com/EMV5jrK0On

New iphone day. Whisper it, but they might not have needed the barrier. http://pic.twitter.com/fjlgkUhYq1

Hive of activity...ish. It's no iPhone 4, is it? ;-) http://pic.twitter.com/ZqJhEoF6Yv