X

Australia's midnight iPhone launch

At midnight 11 July Optus became Australia's first mobile carrier to sell the iPhone 3G. We were on hand to witness the festivities and to finally play with Apple's much hyped handset.

Joseph Hanlon
Joe capitalises on a life-long love of blinking lights and upbeat MIDI soundtracks covering the latest developments in smartphones and tablet computers. When not ruining his eyesight staring at small screens, Joe ruins his eyesight playing video games and watching movies.
Joseph Hanlon
iphonelaunch_1.jpg
1 of 8

At midnight 11 July Optus became Australia's first mobile carrier to sell the iPhone 3G. We were on hand to witness the festivities and to finally play with Apple's much hyped handset.

Also visit our iPhone Launch Centre for everything iPhone 3G, including news, features, photos, downloads and videos.

A sea of yellow
Looking majestic against the Sydney's skyline, Optus wrapped its store in yellow to mark the occasion.

iphonelaunch_2.jpg
2 of 8

Number One
The first man in the queue at Optus and Sydney's newest celeb, Brett Powell, chatting with Video Hits' Faustina "Fuzzy" Agolley in the minutes before midnight.

iphonelaunch_3.jpg
3 of 8

The Final Countdown
Optus staff, in the store and outside, counted down the moments until Australia officially became iPhone friendly.

iphonelaunch_4.jpg
4 of 8

Media Scrum
Powell cuts the ribbon and walks to the service counter to begin the lengthy process of credit checks. All in all this process took 20 minutes — leaving 200 iPhone fanatics freezing outside in the cold night air.

iphonelaunch_5.jpg
5 of 8

Is this the first person in Sydney to own the iPhone?
While the official first place holder was delayed during his purchase, this gentleman was approved and first to leave the store with the iPhone. While not officially first, we imagine he'll be dining out on this story for years to come.

iphonelaunch_6.jpg
6 of 8

Tah-Dah!
While waiting for the first iPhone to be bought we thought we'd amuse ourselves, and what better way than with the iPhone itself.

iphonelaunch_7.jpg
7 of 8

Love at first sight?
OK, we admit it. Maybe it was the crowd, maybe it was the free coffee Optus had filled us with, but holding the iPhone 3G for the first time was a special moment.

iphonelaunch_8.jpg
8 of 8

And the back ...
That's right folks, the back. Nothing to see here except the Apple logo and the 2-megapixel camera which we all agree should be bigger and better.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos