Australia iPhone 18 launch descends into chaos as line-cutter claims hes first in world to buy device: Im the first!
Bragging rights don’t come easy at an Apple launch.Just ask Lachlan Collyer, who spent hours camped outside Sydney’s flagship store only to watch a rival line-jumper barge past him in the dash for the doors, phone held aloft, declaring himself the world’s first owner of the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.Collyer, 20, arrived hours before to secure the top spot in the line outside Apple’s flagship store on George Street, which opened its doors before any other Apple Store on the planet at 8 a.m.
on Friday.But as Collyer proudly showed off his new iPhone 18 Pro in the striking new Glacier ice blue color, another eager customer who cut Collyer’s spot in line rushed past him toward the cameras, holding up his own phone and declaring himself the first in the world to own one, a sign of just how high the stakes felt for some.“I’m the first! I’m the first! All the f—king news lies!” the man screamed as he left the storeUnfazed, Collyer told the media of his excitement to be the first to get his hands on the latest Apple release.“To have the first ever [John] Ternus product is incredibly exciting and, on a technological level, the first ever and last ever 2 nanometer architecture chip set in existence.The first ever iteration came out today – that is incredibly exciting,” he said.“It says a lot about the direction of Apple and what they’re doing with their product line-ups, and I can’t wait to see for the next 15 years where it’s going to go.”Despite the drama, Collyer was still widely regarded by the line and Apple staff as the genuine first customer through the doors, and he wasn’t alone in his early start.Mehak Dhiman, 26, and Shav Chandra, 24, had been camped outside since 6 a.m.
sharing some breakfast before the doors opened at 8 a.m., torn between the two colors – the returning glacier blue, and the brand-new burgundy released for the first time Friday.The two Apple fans said they were “excited” to be among the first group ...