Apple fan already lining up for the iPhone X in Sydney

Apple fan already lining up for the iPhone X in Sydney

THE 10th anniversary iPhone hasn’t even been officially announced, yet there are already people camped outside Apple’s George St store in Sydney to ensure they are the first to secure the new device when it goes on sale.

While there is no official release date for the forthcoming device, rumours suggest the iPhone X will go on sale in Australia on September 22, which means the keen punters have a long 10-day wait ahead of them.

Having lined up to be one of the first iPhone 7 customers last year, Mazen Kourouche knows what to expect from the gruelling slog of camping on the footpath next to a construction site for days on end, but believes it will once again be worth the effort.

“Before I used to do it for the phone, now I am running a tech YouTube channel and trying to get the news out there and cover it first,” he told news.com.au.

The 20-year-old has enlisted the help of two friends to ensure they do not lose their position at the front of the line over the coming weeks.

“At least [this year] I know where the bathroom is and food, it’s pretty much all set-up,” he said.

“We have a tent and sleeping bag, and with my mate, we will rotate shifts.”

Following last year’s disappointment of waiting for 48 hours in miserable weather only to be told the jet black iPhone 7 Plus units would not be available in stores for walk-in customers because they were already sold out, Mr Kourouche devised a plan to ensure he gets the phone he wants.

“I am looking to pre-order even though I am lining up,” he said.

And if the worst does happen and the premium 10th anniversary iPhone X is delayed like some reports suggest, Mr Kourouche said he will happily take one of the other models and upgrade when the new device becomes available.

“It’s not a big deal, I will eventually get it,” he said.

When it comes to the announcement of the iPhone X, Mr Kourouche thinks he knows what to expect based on the rumours circulating the past few months.

“We know that the camera is going to be vertical instead of horizontal, there will be augmented reality, bezel-less display all around, no home button and facial recognition,” he said.

The news that Mr Kourouche was already lining up outside the Apple Store came as a shock to 17-year-old Marcus Barsoum, who was the first to purchase the iPhone 7 last year.

Mr Barsoum had once again made plans to camp outside the store with a table — so he could keep a promise to his mum that he would study for his HSC — but didn’t expect to be beaten by someone camping for 10 days.

“Good on Mazen, that’s a true effort,” he said. “I can only say congratulations and I’ll see him soon.”

Mr Kourouche already has strong ties with Apple, having been the winner of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) scholarship reward in 2016, which meant he got to attend the conference in San Francisco.

The 20-year-old university student already has eight apps on the App Store, but it was his iPhone app Medyc that secured his place at WWDC.

The app helps find your nearest clinics, save appointments and track your medication to always be on top of your health.

More people are expected to join the queue in the coming weeks, with iPhone launches notorious for hordes of Apple fanatics waiting to get their hands on the smartphones when they are released.

The September launch of the iPhone 6S two years ago was no exception, with hundreds of people waiting in the miserable weather to secure the highly-anticipated device.

This event was made memorable, with one Sydneysider taking a hi-tech approach to waiting in the queue.

Lucy Kelly attached an iPad to a robotic body, which she used to secure the first position in the line.

“I want an updated version of the iPhone but I wasn’t going to wait in the cold and rain to get one,” she told News Corp.

“I want to be the first robot to buy an iPhone.”

The plan worked, with Ms Kelly making her way through the doors at 8am to purchase the phone using an American Express card that was originally Blu-Tacked to her back.

In September 2014, Apple fanatics had lined up for days to get their hands on a shiny new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.

When the first person to get their iPhone 6 in Perth was approached by media, he was more than excited to show off his new product.

There was only one problem: when the customer went to remove the product from the box to show 9 News, the phone fell directly onto the concrete.

Luckily for him, it didn’t seem to smash.

Do you think lining up for the iPhone X 10 days prior to release is overkill? Continue the conversation in the comments below or with Matthew Dunn on Facebook and Twitter.