iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus Finally Arrives In New Zealand Stores; Kiwis Advised To Buy Sturdy Cases Amid #Bendgate

It's been a week since Apple launched its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in first wave countries including the U.S., the UK, Australia, Japan, Hongkong and Singapore. Now, New Zealanders are finally given the chance to buy the latest smartphones in the country's retail stores.

According to a Stuff.co report, dozens of Kiwis endured long lines at a Spark Central store in Wellington in anticipation of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus first day of sale in New Zealand. Store manager Craig Olsen cautioned excited customers to buy a sturdy case for their new iPhones amid reports of the iPhone 6 Plus "bending." Since the iPhone 6 #Bendgate controversy, Apple has received negative publicity for releasing a "defective" and "flimsy" product. Olsen acknowledged the possibility of the biggest iPhone to bend if users sit on it or place it in their pocket for too long. Apple has since responded to the reports and said there was still no evidence it was a widespread issue.

Before the shop opened, Olsen said two of his staff were busy making a list of customers and their orders from the queue. About 120 names were listed but only 100 new iPhones were allotted to the store.

For Paul Francis and Ben Austin, queuing for the new iPhones has become a ritual every year. Reports said the two were among the first 100 customers who had registered online and assigned "life-sized emojis" to hold their place in the line at a store in Riccarton.

Aside from New Zealand, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are now available for purchase in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

Some iPhone owners around the world worried about their "bending" devices, especially those who bought the iPhone 6 Plus. Apple Inc has recently released a statement addressing the issue and said all its iPhones are "designed, engineered and manufactured to be both beautiful and sturdy."

According to Apple, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature stainless steel and titanium inserts to serve as reinforcements to "high stress locations." The company said the possibility of an iPhone bending in normal use is "extremely rare." Apple revealed only nine customers have contacted the company complaining of a bent iPhone 6 Plus.