HONG KONG (AFP) — Apple fans across Asia queued for hours to get their hands on the new iPhone Friday, looking to be the first to own a gadget the company hopes will be as big a worldwide smash as the iPod.
More than 1,000 people, many waiting through the night, besieged a store in downtown Tokyo as the iPhone went on sale for the first time in Japan, where having the latest gizmo is almost a national obsession.
Some Japanese began camping out days before the launch for the thrill of being the first to buy the new smartphone -- described as twice as fast and half as expensive as the original iPhone, which was never sold in Japan.
Apple is rolling out the much hyped iPhone 3G in cities around the world on Friday, but New Zealanders got the first chance to buy it when stores opened just after midnight.
Shoppers braved the cold winter weather to queue in the main cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, waiting for three stores to open especially for the occasion.
HONG KONG (AFP) — Apple fans across Asia queued for hours to get their hands on the new iPhone Friday, looking to be the first to own a gadget the company hopes will be as big a worldwide smash as the iPod.
More than 1,000 people, many waiting through the night, besieged a store in downtown Tokyo as the iPhone went on sale for the first time in Japan, where having the latest gizmo is almost a national obsession.
Some Japanese began camping out days before the launch for the thrill of being the first to buy the new smartphone -- described as twice as fast and half as expensive as the original iPhone, which was never sold in Japan.
Apple is rolling out the much hyped iPhone 3G in cities around the world on Friday, but New Zealanders got the first chance to buy it when stores opened just after midnight.
Shoppers braved the cold winter weather to queue in the main cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, waiting for three stores to open especially for the occasion.
Auckland student Jonny Gladwell, 22, was first in line outside his local store, having queued since Tuesday after friends promised to pay for his phone if he lasted the distance.
"I'm going to go home, put this on charge, have a play with it and have a nice big sleep," a weary Gladwell told Television New Zealand after securing one of the first iPhones sold in the world.
But many potential customers expressed outrage over the cost, with the cheapest price, 199 New Zealand dollars (150 US), tied to a two-year calling contract costing 250 dollars a month.
Pricing is expected to be key to the success of the iPhone 3G, which boasts faster Internet access and file transfer than the first version and also has a built-in iPod.
In Australia, a few hundred people spent a chilly evening outside a Sydney store which got a jump on its competitors by opening at midnight.
First through the doors was business analyst Brett Howell, who said he had been surprised to find himself at the head of the queue when he turned up about 11 hours earlier.
"I was shocked that no one had lined up," he told reporters. "I'm not a super geek, but apparently I am. I'm Australia's super geek."
Enthusiasm ran higher in Japan, where white smoke shot up in front of the flagship store of Softbank Mobile in Tokyo, with curtains pulled back to reveal huge iPhone 3G images as the countdown to the launch ended.
"This is great, there is nothing more to say, this is great. I have made a call to my girlfriend," said the person who got the first iPhone, priced at 23,040 yen (215 dollars).
"Finally, finally. At last!" yelled English teacher and gadget freak Charles Browne from his camping chair minutes before the launch. He already owns seven Apple Macintoshes and five iPods.
Experts have said the iPhone could face an uphill battle in Japan, where handsets allow users to watch television and pay for goods like they do with a credit card -- neither of which the Apple phone can do.
Nonetheless, IT worker Yuki Kuroda spent a night outside the store to be one of the first Japanese to own an iPhone -- despite saying he was "not an enthusiastic Apple fan."
"But you should get this kind of gadget on the debut day. It loses value day by day," Kuroda said.
In Hong Kong, more than 60,000 people have already ordered the iPhone 3G, but only around 1,500 pre-chosen customers were able to pick up their handsets on Friday.
One of the lucky 1,500 told a local TV station he had thought about selling the gadget, but "nobody is interested in buying."
Black market debut-version iPhones are already widely available in Asia, serviced by countless shops that "unlock" their software to allow them to operate.
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