On Friday, Apple finally released the new version of its iPhone, thus making its anxious fans jump with joy. In Asia, just like anywhere else in fact, unlocked units of the initial iPhone appeared all over the market immediately after launch; such law-dodging devices are necessary, as not everyone is satisfied with the carriers Apple authorizes.

A similar niche will be provided to business-oriented people with the 3G iPhone. Ads promoting unlock services or already unlocked phones can already be seen in all sorts of places. Chris Lau, electronics shop owner, told the Associated Press he has received iPhone orders from 40 people; he went on to estimate the device’s arrival on the underground market in about seven days. He wasn’t sure whether or not the phones that are to come will be unlocked, but he seemed confident enough that the “cracking” procedure would not take too long.

The same enthusiasm could be seen all over the world, in the 22 countries that received stocks of the new iPhone. In Silicon Valley, half an hour before the Valley Fair shopping center Apple store opened its doors, there were around 150 people waiting. Obviously enough, they all really, really wanted to get their hands on the new device. As 8 a.m. closed in, the fans started to clap and high-five each other. Eventually, store employees let them in and started their, perhaps, most crowded day of the year. 

The first lucky iPhone owner (he bought two actually) said he had stayed up 27 hours straight, without showering. He didn’t seem to mind saying this, as he was holding his precious phones. It was worth the effort.

For the 8GB edition, pricing starts at $199 in the US and $215 in Japan. The 15GB version costs $299 in the US and $320 in Japan.