The newest generation of iPhones kept bleary-eyed customers up late (or early) to be first in line to purchase Apple’s newest mobile device. Although U.S. users got to handle the new iPhone weeks earlier, it has just rolled out to more foreign markets today. The countries where the iPhone went on sale today are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Japan, and Netherlands. Sales were strong, but not as strong as the much-anticipated release of the first iPhone.

Japan, by no means a stranger to advanced technology, generated some of the most activity in terms of sales. Japanese customers bought one million iPhones when the device was first launched. However, many market hawks are predicting that the new iPhone 3GS won’t sell quite as well. One market analyst explains, “It’s difficult to expect considerable replacement demand for the new model.” Since sales were so high mere months ago, and most mobile phone plans are 24-months, fewer customers will buy the new iPhone this early.” While most analysts believe that the new iPhone sales slump is attributable to a too-recent launch of the first one, other analysts realize that some consumers may prefer the Palm Pre, the Android, or the Blackberry. Strange, but true. Of course, the Palm Pre alone cannot outdo the iPphone giant, but the combined forces of dozens of new smartphone options may just put a dent in Apple’s optimism.

The new iPhone boasts a spate of new features, including a new, fast operating system (the S in 3GS stands for “speed”), a 3-Megapixel video camera, a sweet voice activation system, and a digital compass.

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