June 25 - 3:40pm EDT   Japanese shoppers are already in line to buy the iPhone 3G S, which goes on sale with Softbank at 7AM local time on Friday, equivalent to 6PM Eastern on Thursday. Lines are smaller than those for the iPhone 3G launch, according to IDG, at present closer to 100 people at Softbank's flagship Omotesando store. When reservations opened for the 3G S last week, approximately 200 people arrived at the Omotesando location. Online preorders have not been allowed with Japanese iPhones. [full story]

June 16 - 11:25am EDT   Australian carrier Optus has let slip the details of new iPhone subscription options, meant to coincide with the release of the 3GS, a leak claims. The carrier's "yes" cap plans should now range from $19 to $79 a month, and by default provide between 100MB and 1GB of data; missing is a $29 option, which will come sometime after launch if at all. Varying payments may be necessary based on the choice of iPhone model, and the length of a contract, spanning one to two years. [full story]

June 8 - 10:50am EDT   The Australian website that leaked a memo concerning low iPhone stock in the country has received a cease-and-desist order, its owner claims. Anthony Agius has refused to say which party issued the notice, but it is believed to be either the memo's circulator, Vodafone, or the carrier's regional supplier, Brightpoint. Apple could also be involved, given mention of its products. [full story]

May 22 - 9:25am EDT   An e-mail in circulation to Vodafone staff in Australia hints at the timing of the next iPhone, a source from the country contends. In particular the e-mail is said to be going out to retail workers, informing them that Vodafone's regional supplier -- Brightpoint -- has marked the 16GB iPhone as "end of life," along with the Nokia 6121. Both items have only a few weeks' worth of stock available, according to the memo. [full story]

February 17 - 10:50am EST   A placeholder in Apple's Australian store shows an unannounced 'Unwired Airport Express Bundle' that carries a price of A$168 (~$109USD), according to AppleInsider. The listing does not provide any additional details, although the title suggests the package could include a modem or service from the Australian wireless-broadband carrier Unwired, which offers data connectivity without requiring a phone or dedicated line. [full story]

January 16 - 11:55am EST   The Australian division of Apple has been destroying broken Macs which could nevertheless be repaired or recycled for parts, claims an individual involved in the process. An anonymous worker at a Sydney warehouse alleges that he was asked to help destroy some $200,000 worth of Apple gear, including iMacs, Xserves, MacBooks and Mac Pros, along with Mighty Mice and a copy of Final Cut Studio. The worker's crew is said to have used hammers and screwdrivers for the task, and gone to the extent of tearing up manuals. Everything, eventually, was crushed using a forklift, in response to complaints about it being visible over a dumpster's edge. [full story]

October 17 - 1:25pm EDT   Brightpoint, a cell phone distributor in Australia saw its shares rise 51 cents on Thursday after it announced its plans to begin distributing iPods. According to a report, this deal could give Brightpoint an opening for a wider relationship with the iPhone maker. Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Ittai Kidron stated that he believes this is the beginning of a broader relationship between the two companies that will in fact see it expanding to include the iPhone and not specifically to Australia but to other regions as well. [full story]

September 8 - 11:45pm EDT   While still shy of its anticipated 242 retail locations, Apple will open a fifth Ohio store on Saturday, while Melbourne will see the third Australian store. In Ohio, the Crocker Park location will open its doors at 10am, bringing a nearly two year long construction to an end, according to ifoAppleStore. Little was known about the location until it recently was adorned with typical Apple Store architecture. For months at a time, the former construction site saw little to no activity. [full story]

August 12 - 9:00pm EDT   New figures show a sharp increase in Apple's market share in Australia over the past year, according to ZDNet Australia. Two analyst firms, Gartner and IDC, came up with different figures, but both showed a dramatic increase in Mac Sales. Garner says Apple's market share in the second quarter of 2008 was 5.3-percent -- up from 3.8-percemt in the same period of 2007. IDC says Apple's Market share hit at 6.2 percent during the first quarter. [full story]

August 4 - 5:50pm EDT   In the US and Canada, iPhone owners have only one choice for wireless service; as of Monday, Australia now has four. Virgin Mobile Australia has confirmed that it has become the fourth wireless company to offer the iPhone 3G, joining a market already crowded by Vodafone, Optus and Telstra. Virgin is apparently off to a fast start: a check of its website shows both the 8GB and 16GB models are already "out of stock." [full story]

August 4 - 3:40pm EDT   The grand opening for Apple's second retail store in Australia is set for Saturday morning in Sydney, according to an announcement. A celebration is planned, with free t-shirts for the first 1,000 people through the door. The Chatswood Chase opening comes less than a month after that of Australia's flagship store, which is found elsewhere in Sydney on George Street. A third store is currently under construction in Melbourne. [full story]

July 10 - 1:05am EDT   Friday creeps ever closer, bringing the iPhone to dozens of countries worldwide, and the press reviews are thus far turning out well, with one journalist claiming he is giving up his BlackBerry 8300 in favor of Apple's smartphone. Macworld Australia writer Matthew Powell gives the iPhone 3G an overall rating of four out of five, citing its ease of use, "speedy" web browsing, and great media playing functionality, but noted the Mail client needs just a bit more work. [full story]

July 8 - 10:45pm EDT   Carriers around the world are expecting shortages of Apple's iPhone, with saying they will be sold out in "minutes" and others indicating that the crunch could last for weeks. In a cautionary message to potential iPhone buyers, Britain's O2 says a rush of customers, ordering as many 13,000 per second, brought down its online orders for iPhone 3G: "We just weren’t prepared for this unprecedented level of demand," the company said in a memo. "No website is." The British carrier, however, said that stock is limited due to the simultaneous launch of the iPhone in 22-nations -- and while Apple's head of retail Ron Johnson has tried to allay concerns -- especially in the US, ... [full story]

July 3 - 8:50am EDT   Australian mobile carrier Optus on Thursday announced an extensive range of price plans for the iPhone 3G, in preparation for its July 11th launch. Pre-pay deals see the 8GB iPhone 3G marked at $729, and the 16GB model at $849; unlike most countries, there is also an option to fully unlock the device for use on other networks, for an additional $80. [full story]

June 30 - 9:30am EDT   Telstra has confirmed earlier reports and announced sales of the iPhone 3G, according to the Australian carrier's website. The phone will take advantage of Telstra's Next G broadband network, which has the broadest coverage in the country in part due to support for the 850MHz band; the company has otherwise announced very few details, with customers being expected to register interest in a particular iPhone, along with any accessories they might be curious as about such as a Bluetooth headset, a "dual dock," and a TTY adapter. [full story]