Apple Inc. had attracted long lines of consumers today at its retail stores. This was after the latest iPhone handsets were set to go on sale. This was Apple's biggest move this year to stoke new growth for the company.

The new iPhone 5s and 5c had kicked off first in Australia where more than 400 people lined up in Sydney's central business district. In Tokyo's Ginza area, there were around 800 people waiting outside to purchase the new iPhones. This was according to people dressed as Batman and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs waiting outside Apple's retail stores.

After Australia and Japan, the handsets would go on sale today in Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Germany, UK, US and France. This was the first time that Apple made its new handsets in China on the same day as other main markets. The move was after the company had been seeking to lure new clients in the world's biggest mobile phone market. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple might surpass a record of 5 million smartphones sold during last year's iPhone debut depending on its available supply.

Last year, Apple Inc. generated USD41.7 billion net income and USD156.5 billion revenue. In 2012, Apple Inc's total assets were valued USD176 billion. The company's total assets were valued USD118.2 billion with operating income of USD55.2 billion.