Sydney Apple store opens Thursday June 19, 5pm - iPhone sales date, too?

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 09 June 2008 08:02

Your IT - Mobility

A news report confirms that June 19, 5pm is the day Apple’s first store in the Southern Hemisphere will open – but is it also the day that Apple’s Australian resellers start going out of business?

An article in the Sydney Morning Herald has, in an interview with the head of Apple’s retail division, Ron Johnson, confirmed Australia’s first Apple store is finally opening this month on June 19.

Update: The iPhone 3G has launched! Full details here. Also, the iPhone 3G is slated to arrive July 11, so the Australian Apple store won't get it until then, either, most likely!

Original story follows:

No doubt a line of Apple fanatics will start queuing at the store potentially days before, on the corner of King St and George St in Sydney’s CBD, not only to get one of 2500 reported free T-Shirts, but to be first in line to buy an official Australian 3G iPhone, something still yet to be confirmed tomorrow when Jobs reveals it at the WWDC.

According to the SMH, Ron Johnson has been the head of Apple’s retail business since 2000, and naturally claims to be excited for the new store, which is but the first.

Another store is set to open in the Sydney suburb of Chatswood, with a third set to open in Melbourne’s CBD, and both are due to open “later this year”. Other stores seem to be planned, too – but Apple hasn’t said anything about that as yet.

June 19 would also appear to be the date that the iPhone will go on sale in Australia, given the enormous free publicity the sale of the first official iPhone at the first official Apple-owned store will generate.

The store is also across the road from Telstra’s T-Life stores, which was modelled after the Apple store style of retailing, although we can be certain that Apple’s store will vastly outclass the T-Life store.

The new Apple store is reported to be one of only three Apple stores in the world with a three story layout, including some kind of “secret architectural feature” that will no doubt stun all who see it.

So, what about existing Authorised Apple resellers? Please read on to page 2.