Update 2: Shipping times in at least Hong Kong started at 1-2 weeks then quickly to changed to “currently unavailable”.

Update: The Australian Apple Online store and others are back up and listing all iPad Air models as shipping in 24 hours.

Lines have started to form at Apple stores around the world. Send pics of your Apple Store line to tips@9to5mac.com. Images below.

With Apple’s iPad Air launch about to kick off on the morning of Nov. 1 local time in over 40 countries, Apple has now started taking online stores down around the world to prepare for the launch. That includes Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Netherlands, Thailand, China, and others, which will be the first regions to get their hands on the device as we roll into tomorrow morning local time in those countries.

Yesterday we reported that iPad Airs had started arriving at Apple Stores and other retailers and that supplies were likely to be plentiful as large stores received as much as 500-1000 units of the device. We also heard that business discounts will be available for the new device on day one, which wasn’t the case in previous years.

Apple will begin selling the iPad Air at 8 a.m. local time Nov. 1 through its Apple retail stores in the following countries:

US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China (Wi-Fi models only), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao (Wi-Fi models only), Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK

Reviews for the iPad Air, which features an all-new slimmed down design, the 64-bit A7 processor that debuted in the iPhone 5s, and other upgraded internals, have been almost all positive.

Japan (via):

Zurich:

Berlin:

Berliner Apple Store Kurfürstendamm pic.twitter.com/HtljoMV4VN — Jonas (@techniklike) October 31, 2013

Sven schickt uns ein Bild vom Apple Store Berlin. Das iPad Air kann kommen! pic.twitter.com/dANLZHnd2U — Apfelpage.de (@apfelpage_de) October 31, 2013

US:

https://twitter.com/theballisorange/status/395906841307525120

why is there a line at the apple store — Megan (@mmccafferty2729) October 31, 2013

https://twitter.com/h_ailey/status/395938249656795137

RT multiple people lining up: #applestore Line forming at #rockaway mall NJ #ipadair ... — Daniel Testerman (@DanielTesterman) October 31, 2013

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