As the iPhone 8 goes on sale, questions remain over the demand for Apple's latest offering following smaller crowds outside stores and a muted customer reaction.

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, two of the three new iPhones in Apple's 2017 lineup, went on sale around the world, starting in Australia where hundreds of people have usually gathered outside Apple's Sydney city store for previous launches. But instead of queues winding down the street there were fewer than 30 people lining up before the store opened on Friday.

A similar level of interest was seen across Asia and in Europe. Queues outside Apple's Regent Street store in London were modest compared to previous standards, with only a handful of diehard fans gathered, while only two teenagers gathered outside Buchanan Street Apple store in Glasgow.