macnn/electronista

05/06/2008, 1:55pm, EDT

Tuesday, May 6th

AT&T to hold 'Special Promo' in June/July?

AT&T has sectioned off nearly a month between June and July in order to coordinate employees for an "exciting Special Promotional Launch," says an internal memo reportedly leaked to Engadget. The message notes that staff will be unable to book vacations between June 15th and July 12th due to the resource demands of the unnamed event, which is already believed to relate to the launch of an updated iPhone in the same timeframe. AT&T employees were allegedly asked to stay available for work during the same period last year, during the iPhone's official debut.

Some exceptions may be made for employees towards the end of the window depending on activity surrounding the launch, the note says, hinting that the bulk of customer attention will focus on the second half of June. The timing would roughly coincide with the one-year anniversary of the 2007 iPhone launch, which took place on June 29th of that year.

Research in Motion's BlackBerry 9000, considered the next-closest device to justify a high-profile launch, is unlikely as multiple reports have reported the 3G smartphone being delayed to July due to technical glitches that have since been resolved.

While unconfirmed by AT&T, the note would narrow down the American launch of the iPhone to the weeks just following Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, which begins on June 10th and is often considered the showcase for major new platforms and general software development.

AT&T tells Electronista that it has "no comment" about the memo.


Filed under: iPhone
Other story tags: AT&T, BlackBerry, RIM

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summer vacation?
0
05/06, 2:04pm, EDT
fuhgeddaboutit, AT+T employees!
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why???
0
05/06, 2:31pm, EDT
When the 3G iPhone comes out hopefully in June, it's a product revision not the introduction of a totally new product the likes have never been seen before! Does anyone else have an opinion regarding the 3G iPhone launch. Will it be pandemonium of long lines with those first in line selling their spot for mega bucks and a circus like atmosphere of camping out two, three, four nights before launch and the question of "Where were you when the iPhone went on sale June 29, 2007? or Will it be another sales day with a bump in traffic on store room floors but nothing no store normally staffed can't handle and nothing extreme?
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Re: why???
0
05/06, 3:06pm, EDT
Well, maybe they're just anticipating that influx of the standard Mac-heads will be coming in upgrading their iPhones.

Then again, they'd all be going to the Apple store, so that can't be it.

Does anyone know how crowded the AT&T stores on iPhone day.
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Cam + GPS would be nice
0
05/06, 3:38pm, EDT
I just rode by a motorcycle on sale in front of someone's house. I was thinking that it'd be cool if I had an iPhone that could take a picture of it, and encode its LAT/LONG GPS coordinates into the info field of the photo file.

Apple, make it so!
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depends on the hype
0
05/06, 10:32pm, EDT
if AT+T really is going to subsidize iPhone's, I bet you see a wave of buying similar to last year's launch. There is a TON of pent-up demand from people who wouldn't spend $399 on a frickin' phone, but might take the bait if it drops to $199. Myself, I am putting off any new phone purchase as long as I can, in hopes that I can get an unlocked iPhone that works on T-Mobile's network someday. Even if I have to go another 2 years or so with the same phone...
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FCC?
0
05/07, 9:57am, EDT
Shouldn't we have heard something about a new FCC application for the 3G iPhone by now if it is planned to drop next month? Using new frequencies will require a new FCC approval, right?
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