AFP - New Zealanders were the first in the world to get the chance to buy the much hyped iPhone 3G Friday when three stores opened just after midnight.

Reuters - Apple's new iPhone made a glitzy debut on Friday as frenetic buyers in New Zealand and Japan, some of whom had camped in line for days, stormed outlets to get their hands on the gadget.

AFP - Over 1,000 people, many queuing through the night, besieged a store in downtown Tokyo on Friday as the iPhone went on sale in Japan for the first time.

AFP - Apple's international launch of iPhone 3G began in New Zealand and Japan on Friday, as a freshly-opened "App Store" tempted fans with independently created mini-programs for the coveted devices.

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.

AP - The new iPhone model went on sale in the Asia-Pacific region Friday, making its debut in Japan amid swirling smoke after a 30-second countdown chanted by hundreds of people lined up, some for days, snaking around the block.

AP - Apple Inc.'s new data synching service got off to a rocky start Thursday, as some users were denied access to their accounts just hours before the next-generation iPhone is slated to go on sale.