Japan and Australia first to get iPhone 4S

Australia and Japan were the first countries to receive the new iPhone 4S, with eager fans queuing in their hundreds to get their hands on the latest Apple device.

At both Sydney and Japan’s biggest iPhone stores a carnival-like atmosphere prevailed, with Apple fans recording and uploading their experiences via various iDevices including iPads and iPod touches.

One young customer waited three days to get his hands on the iPhone 4S, saying “It feels amazing, it is one of the greatest feelings in the world so far”. Another lamented the passing of Steve Jobs. “I did it for Steve, I was very sad at his passing,” he said.

In Los Gatos California, Apple co-founder Steven Wozniak was first in line at one of the flagship stores. He tweeted, “The long wait begins. I’m first in line. The guy ahead was on the wrong side and he’s pissed”.

Softbank, an iPhone service provider in Japan, held a countdown ceremony in Tokyo’s Omotesando district. Over 200 customers queued at the Softbank store, eagerly anticipating the launch of the iPhone 4S during the ceremony.

The son of the Softbank president spoke about Jobs during the launch. “I met Steve for the last time in June. He looked thin but his eyes were sparkling, talking about his work with passion. Let’s praise this great piece of Steve together.”

The iPhone 4S has shattered Apple sales records, selling a million phones during its initial 24-hours on pre-order.

Faster speeds, an improved camera and an assistant called Siri are the highlights of the new iPhone. Of these new features, Siri stands out as an exceptional new addition which works on iPhone 4S devices only.

Siri is an “intelligent personal assistant” and since “her” release, users worldwide have been experimenting with its various options. Ask Siri “I want to hide a body” and it delivers hiding places such as swamps, garbage dumps and reservoirs.

Siri continues with a string of humorous results based on various responses from the user:

“I’m Horny,” — displays a list of escort services.

“What is the meaning of life?” — “I don’t know but I think there is an app for that”, says Siri.

“Siri, I love you.” — “I hope you don’t say that to those other mobile phones. All you need is love; and your iPhone,” says Siri.

Siri has been designed to understand the context of what we say. This enables it to answer the natural questions we ask.