Australians 1st to get hands on new iPhone 5
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People queue to buy Apple's new iPhone 5 from their flagship store in Sydney as Australia becomes one of the first countries in the world to offer the phone for sale, on Sept 21, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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A man photographs Apple's new iPhone 5 from their flagship store in Sydney as Australia becomes one of the first countries in the world to offer the phone for sale, on Sept 21, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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James (centre, left) and Tamsyn Vohradsky (centre, right) hold up their iPhone 5 after becoming the first buyer of Apple's new iPhone 5 from their flagship store in Sydney, on Sept 21, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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James (left) and Tamsyn Vohradsky (right) hold up their iPhone 5 after becoming the first buyer of Apple's new iPhone 5 from their flagship store in Sydney, on Sept 21, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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People queue to buy Apple's new iPhone 5 from their flagship store in Sydney as Australia becomes one of the first countries in the world to offer the phone for sale, on Sept 21, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Mr Francis Le (centre) and a handful of others stage a separate queue to highlight the "folly of consumerism" as Apple start to sell their new iPhone 5 from their flagship store in Sydney, becoming one of the first countries in the world to offer the phone for sale, on Sept 21, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
People queue to buy Apple's new iPhone 5 from their flagship store in Sydney as Australia becomes one of the first countries in the world to offer the phone for sale, on Sept 21, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
A man photographs Apple's new iPhone 5 from their flagship store in Sydney as Australia becomes one of the first countries in the world to offer the phone for sale, on Sept 21, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
James (centre, left) and Tamsyn Vohradsky (centre, right) hold up their iPhone 5 after becoming the first buyer of Apple's new iPhone 5 from their flagship store in Sydney, on Sept 21, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
James (left) and Tamsyn Vohradsky (right) hold up their iPhone 5 after becoming the first buyer of Apple's new iPhone 5 from their flagship store in Sydney, on Sept 21, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
People queue to buy Apple's new iPhone 5 from their flagship store in Sydney as Australia becomes one of the first countries in the world to offer the phone for sale, on Sept 21, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Mr Francis Le (centre) and a handful of others stage a separate queue to highlight the "folly of consumerism" as Apple start to sell their new iPhone 5 from their flagship store in Sydney, becoming one of the first countries in the world to offer the phone for sale, on Sept 21, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
SYDNEY (AFP) - Gadget lovers in Australia were the first to get their hands on the new generation iPhone 5 on Friday, with the queues snaking around Apple's flagship store in Sydney suggesting another huge hit for the company.
Some had been camped out since Tuesday to be the first to test new device, which has a bigger screen and a slimmer body, and which Apple chief Tim Cook has called "the biggest thing to happen to iPhone since the iPhone".
The crowds appeared to be bigger than for previous launches of the iconic smartphone, with the faithful filming the experience on their iPhones and iPads as staff inside clapped and cheered when the doors opened at 8.00am (6am Singapore time).
But the event was also hijacked by companies looking for free publicity, with the first dozen or so in the queue wearing promotional t-shirts or carrying advertising materials.
