The long wait is over as Apple’s iPhone 5 was released for sale across Australia this morning.

Lucky Chermside Apple store patrons enjoyed an unexpected surprise as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak appeared to watch the launch.

Sarah Orr reports.

TRANSCRIPT

It may seem curious that one of the master minds behind the iphone is lining up with the rest of the pack to buy one, but Wozniak says he does it for a little thrill.

Steve Wozniak, Apple Co-founder: “I love things that are exciting, I love things that are interesting and I love things that are a bit of adventure and here I am on the other side of the world so I can get an iphone seventeen hours before I would get it in California.”

And hundreds of local fans joined Wozniak in the wait, the line extending right out to the car park.

Vox 1: “Nine o’clock last night I got here, had a tent in the back. Eveyrone thought it was pretty cool, which it was, I wasn’t sleeping out on the concrete.”

Vox 2: “I wanna be the first one in Taiwan.”

Apple staff made it well worth the wait as customers enjoyed a reception worthy of royality.

The iphone five is packed with new features including a 4 inch retina display, apple map and a panaroma camera.

Doug McClure, Area General Manager, Brisbane CBD: “It’s a very user friendly device the interface is fantastic and when you use it on the 4G network you can use applications like facetime.”

Apple are expected to sell over 45 million iphones during the December quater, 22 per cent more than last year, Showing that fans still swear by the iconic favourite.

Wozniak says that innovation is one of reasons people keep buying apple.

Steve Wozniak, Apple Co-founder: “The users won’t buy the product unless they feel that there is somehow that quailty of innovation, of revolution of displacing other types of products we’ve had before, changing our life.”

Wozniak believes that Apple will continue to lead the way in innovation.

Steve Wozniak, Apple Co-founder: “Apple’s the leader. That doesn’t mean other companies aren’t doing a good job in innovation, but Apple is always respected as the leader.”

Sarah Orr, QUT News.