Apple's New iPhone Debuts in Japan

Fans queued outside Apple's store in Japan Thursday, as well local telecom Softbank, to snap up the latest version of its wildly popular iPhone.

Japanese customers were the first globally to get hold of the coveted iPhone 4, which debuts in the U.S., France, Germany and the UK later on Thursday.

Sales blew past expectations, with over 600,000 sold in just 24 hours of pre-orders, which Softbank suspended after three days due to overwhelming demand.

High school student Akira Nakazawa had waited in Tokyo's Ginza district through heavy rains for more than a day.

[Akira Nakazawa, High School Student male]:
"I've been waiting for almost 33 hours straight since two days ago from 10 p.m. on the 22nd. The hardest part was a hard rain during yesterday. I had two umbrellas to protect my stuff and myself."             

The iPhone, launched in 2007, has boosted Apple's margins but faces a slew of new smartphone competitors.

The device comes less than a month after Apple's iPad began sales outside the U.S., which has already sold 3 million units worldwide.

This customer says the new iPhone has advantages over the Apple tablet.

[Roy Hoshino, iPhone Customer male]:
"Well, I can feel that pixel is much more than 3GS -- beautiful, much more beautiful than iPad. No complaint about it."             

For the current quarter, analysts expect sales of up to 9 million iPhones in total, including older models, with shipments eventually hitting 10 million or more a quarter.

Some two-thirds of iPhone sales are seen coming from overseas, and the smartphone is expected to be available in 18 countries next month and 88 by September.