Apple iPhone 6 goes on sale around the globe (pictures)

Apple staff line the balconies at the Sydney Apple Store in Australia, clapping and cheering in the buildup to opening the doors to sell the iPhone 6.

Final preparations both inside and out, as the Sydney Apple Store gets ready to open its doors for the iPhone 6 launch.

Local and international media gather to catch the first iPhone 6 owners as they emerge from the Sydney Apple Store.

After as many as 10 days in the queue, the first buyers in Sydney show off their new iPhone 6 purchases to the crowds.

The Sydney Apple Store is on the city's busiest street, and the narrow path makes for chaotic scenes.

The Sydney Apple Store prepares for the iPhone 6 launch. The store has three wide, narrow levels built tight to the city's busiest street.

In Singapore, locals queued up as early as 5.45 a.m. to be first in line for the iPhone 6 at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre. As these customers were buying the phone from local carrier SingTel, they were guaranteed a phone due to an online reservation system used.

The first ten in line were given additional freebies from the carrier.

Tourists and locals alike queued either overnight or early this morning at third-party resellers to try to get their hands on a phone in Singapore. These three friends were first in line at Nubox and paid for two iPhones each in cold, hard cash.

Compared with the iPhone 5S launch last year, queues were definitely much longer this time in Singapore. Nubox employees said they had to turn away some customers who were at the back of the queue as they were unlikely to get the new iPhone 6 due to stock issues.

Daniel and Kristy were first to to get their hands on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus from Singapore carrier M1.

Meanwhile in London -- here's the queue outside the UK capital's Covent Garden Apple Store.

The assembled media poised outside the doors of the flagship London store.

Jamael Ahmed was the first in the Covent Garden queue to buy one of Apple's new smartphones. Ahmed ended up emerging from the store several times, until the waiting photographers got the shot they wanted.

New iPhone owner Laurie brandishes his purchase, moments after emerging from the Covent Garden store. He opted for the iPhone 6, instead of the 6 Plus.

Those who reserved a new iPhone ahead of time face a much shorter queue in London.

The sun rises in Manhattan, as wannabe iPhone 6 owners await the opening of the doors at Apple's flagship store known as the Cube.

The first people in line at Apple's flagship store in Manhattan are Moon and Jason Ray, employees of VideoMedicine. They paid the people behind them $2,500 to swap into first place.

The line at Apple's flagship store in Manhattan extends across another block and around another corner.

New York police are on hand, apparently to keep the peace.

Employment opportunities abound as people line up outside of Apple's flagship store in Manhattan.

The Cube maintains its elegance as the iPhone 6 sales frenzy begins.

Apple employees line up outside of the flagship store in Manhattan to welcome customers. At this point, the applause for queued-up consumers has become an Apple tradition.

The first person out of the flagship Manhattan store wasn't the first person in line. It was Andreas Gibson, a preorder customer who only had to wait outside since around 3 a.m. ET.

The media swarm the first person out of the Cube in Manhattan, giving Andreas Gibson his 15 minutes of fame.

Here are the first people in line at San Francisco's  flagship Apple Store on Stockton Street.  The two people, who indicated that they speak little English, did not want to share their names but apparently have waited in line for three days.

The massive line at the Apple Store on Stockton Street in San Francisco already stretched two blocks as of 7:10 a.m. PT.

Buying his phone from Switzerland via a telepresence robot, Anil Dharni appears on the Stockton Street Apple Store in San Francisco via his iBot.

Apple employees line up Friday morning to greet customers as the doors of the San Francisco flagship Apple Store open for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sales.

Customers get their hands on the iPhone goods Friday morning at the Stockton Street Apple Store in San Francisco.

Buying his phone from Switzerland, Anil Dharni appears in the Stockton Street Apple Store via an iBot telepresence robot.

Joshua Cook of Sacramento was the first in line among the preorders. He left home at 2:30 a.m. PT Friday to get in line by 5 a.m. at the Stockton Street Apple Store in San Francisco since it was the closest location where he could pick up his iPhone 6 Plus.

This is why you wait in line at Apple's Palo Alto store. Apple CEO Tim Cook opens the door for customers on Friday morning.

Apple CEO Tim Cook lets a customer take a selfie with him on Friday morning outside of Apple's Palo Alto store.