The Newshound

Queue-jumper sparks chaos at Sydney Apple Store shouting 'I'm the first!' as iPhone 18 Pro goes on sale worldwide

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

Crowds outside Apple Stores in Singapore, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur and Hangzhou, where scalpers gathered offering to buy handsets directly from customers leaving the queue.
Crowds outside Apple Stores in Singapore, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur and Hangzhou, where scalpers gathered offering to buy handsets directly from customers leaving the queue.

Shoppers across Sydney, Singapore, India and Kuala Lumpur camped out for hours — some from 5am — to be among the first to own the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which went on sale today. The flagship devices start at £1,199 and feature a new mechanical aperture camera, A20 Pro chip and improved battery life. Scalpers were already touting outside stores in Hangzhou, China, before the doors even opened.

Sydney's launch descended into a row after a line-jumper barged past Lachlan Collyer, 20, screaming 'I'm the first! All the f—king news lies!'

Despite the drama, Apple staff and fellow shoppers recognised Collyer as the genuine first buyer of the new Glacier ice blue model.

A Bengaluru buyer, Rahul, who has purchased every iPhone since the 7, called the annual launch 'a festival' after queuing from 5am.

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