There were folding camp chairs, milk crates and sleeping bags set up under cloudy skies outside Sydney's flagship Apple store days before the launch of the iPhone X.

The die-hard tech fans camping out on George Street for the latest iPhone are usually a source of amusement for pedestrians passing by on their way to work.

But it's serious business: the ceaseless demand for iPhones and other electronic gadgets buoyed the Australian retail market in November, the biggest monthly jump in four years.

Vijay from Sydney's city Telstra shop said it all: "iPhones never disappoint."