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Fans queue in 2 days before new iPhone launch
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-07-09 16:10
TOKYO AWAITS
In Japan, one of the world's most advanced mobile markets, about 20 people were lining up outside of the Softbank Corp (9984.T) flagship store in Tokyo on Wednesday morning, with a sign at the top of the queue reading "We Love iPhone."
"The big appeal (of the iPhone) is that this is an Apple product," said Hiroyuki Sano, a 24-year-old graduate student who arrived early on Tuesday from Nagoya, 360 km (225 miles) west of Tokyo, to be first in the line.

College student Tetsuya Umeda, reading a book by Apple Corporation Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs, rests as he lines up to buy an iPhone in front of the Softbank Corp flagship store in Tokyo July 9, 2008, two days ahead of the mobile phone's July 11 launch. Seeking to be one of the first to grab the new-generation iPhone, fanatical Apple fans around Asia are queuing up two days ahead of its July 11 launch while inquiries and early orders are swamping related Websites. [Agencies] 
He will turn 25 on Thursday while waiting to get his hands on the high-end version of the iPhone with 16 gigabytes of memory. Apple also offers an entry-level version with an 8 gigabyte memory.
"I've told my professor I was going to go buy an iPhone, and he gave me a permission," said Sano, wearing a T-shirt with an Apple logo. "He is an Apple-lover too, and he sent me off cheerfully."

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Softbank, Japan's third-biggest mobile carrier, will start selling iPhones at the flagship store at 7 am on Friday (2200 GMT Thursday) and expand sales nationwide at noon.
Research firm Enterbrain has said 6.7 percent of 1,200 people it surveyed in Japan wanted to buy an iPhone immediately, and most of the people in the queue plan to buy the device as their second cellphone.
Japan's 108 million mobile users already frequently use Web browsing and email on 3G networks, and some analysts say the iPhone might not attract many buyers among mainstream cellphone users.
"We can expect certain demand from core Apple fans and others, but there will be users who would hesitate about buying iPhone because of high monthly charges of some 8,000 yen," said Hironobu Sawake, a JPMorgan senior analyst in Tokyo.
"Even though there will be other features that are more attractive than ordinary phones, the fact that iPhone does not offer some features that are available on most handsets could turn off some users too," he said.