AT&T Joins Sprint and Apple in Setting Mid-October Employee Vacation Blackouts

[MacRumors]

BGR reports that AT&T has issued a blackout on retail store employee vacations for the first two weeks of October, apparently in anticipation of the launch of the iPhone 4S and/or iPhone 5.

With reports circling that Apple's next iPhone is due to launch on October 14th, BGR has received new information from a trusted AT&T source that seems to confirm a mid-October launch. AT&T has started to block all employee vacation requests for the first two weeks of October in order to have "all hands on deck." Our source clarified that the dates are the first two works weeks starting on Monday, October 3rd and ending on Friday, October 14th.

The source notes that previous blackouts have sometimes been extended after their initial announcements, suggesting that AT&T could push the blackout into the following week to handle heavy traffic in the days after a potential October 14th debut.

Apple has reportedly blacked out vacations for its retail employees for October 9th through 12th and 14th through 15th. Sprint, which is expected to begin offering the iPhone for the first time, has also blacked out vacations for the first two weeks of October.

BGR's AT&T source also indicates that the carrier has added six new placeholder listings for "new products" in its internal database. The new listings are not specifically linked to Apple, but handsets from other manufacturers generally appear under their actual names. The six new listings could refer to black and white versions of three different iPhone handsets, potentially two different capacities of the iPhone 4S or 5 and a single, lower-capacity iPhone 4/4S. The listings may not, however, be based on direct information from Apple and may simply be a best-guess effort for placeholder purposes.

Article Link: AT&T Joins Sprint and Apple in Setting Mid-October Employee Vacation Blackouts

 

[Peace]

Typical. But I have a question.

If android phones are outselling the iPhone why don't these carrier stores do the same thing when a new android phone comes out ?

 

[troop231]

Typical. But I have a question.

If android phones are outselling the iPhone why don't these carrier stores do the same thing when a new android phone comes out ?

Probably because Android launches don't have near as much hype as Apple ones..

 

[theperipheral]

Typical. But I have a question.

If android phones are outselling the iPhone why don't these carrier stores do the same thing when a new android phone comes out ?

Android PHONES are outselling the iPHONE. Do you see what you said? PHONES vs PHONE. The reason they don't do it for Android PHONES is because the iPHONE outsells any other single phone. Therefore, they need all their employees to handle the pounding that their stores are going to take once it's released.

Android PHONES are generally horrible for the most part, and so they don't need any special events for releases.

 

[deepakhj]

Typical. But I have a question.

If android phones are outselling the iPhone why don't these carrier stores do the same thing when a new android phone comes out ?

Palm did it for the Pre at Sprint... it was sad though. I cruised by the store in Palo Alto on opening night.

 

[chrmjenkins]

Typical. But I have a question.

If android phones are outselling the iPhone why don't these carrier stores do the same thing when a new android phone comes out ?

Nothing quite equals an iPhone launch. Apple willl move a million or so domestically. A hot android phone launch will move 100k or so. Their magnitudes don't compare.

As for the 6 new models, it doesn't really tell us anything other than the new iphone will have two capacities and two colors. The other two could well be the 8GB iphone 4 or a new 8GB iphone 4s.

 

[tripjammer]

Nothing quite equals an iPhone launch. Apple willl move a million or so domestically. A hot android phone launch will move 100k or so. Their magnitudes don't compare.

As for the 6 new models, it doesn't really tell us anything other than the new iphone will have two capacities and two colors. The other two could well be the 8GB iphone 4 or a new 8GB iphone 4s.

yeah people will camp out for days to be first in line, even if they dont have a preorder.

You don't see this but in a new Iphone Launch or a new Playstation launch...maybe the next Xbox launch.

 

[Amadeo]

What I'm not getting is this: I understand there being a blackout for the iOS 5 release. But if the next generation iPhone is supposed to come out on the 14th, why does the blackout period end around then, and not after? I would think the busiest time would be weeks before AND after release. Not solely before...

 

[frito1224]

vzw

will vzw be getting the 5 i haven't seen anything about them doing this yet

 

[Tones2]

Yeah, we know. Oct 14. Now we'll be seeing the same rumors for this date until the actual announcement. Let's give it a rest. It's Oct 14. End of story.

Tony

 

[newyorksole]

What I'm not getting is this: I understand there being a blackout for the iOS 5 release. But if the next generation iPhone is supposed to come out on the 14th, why does the blackout period end around then, and not after? I would think the busiest time would be weeks before AND after release. Not solely before...

the busiest time wouldn't be weeks before. it would be the day of and maximum 1-2 weeks after.

Apple is still gonna schedule A LOT of people to work for the weeks after it comes out. It's just that they don't need to restrict EVERYONE from taking time off. The stores have enough employees that can handle the traffic the weeks after launch.

 

[Eduardo1971]

Good to know but I'll probably order the phone online (if Apple allows it). I do not relish the thought of my day spend in queueing.

 

[x13gamer]

Or????

Or it's apple's new product. iPoo, made personally by steve. Thats why He had his factory upgraded a few months back. And he took a leave so he could ramp up production. You all know that people would pay for it, just to get Steves's latest greatest. All the signs point to it is.

The 10 rumors a day that MACrumors are pouring out about an iPhone only reiterates a new device is coming. The invite itself says "iPhone" on it what kind of proof must you really have?

How about some good old fashion Mac rumors instead of straight iPhone rumors for weeks on end.

 

[AppleScruff1]

I'm not sure, but that probably means that they think the new iPhone will be launched during the first two weeks of October. And it will be a major redesign so they will be buried for weeks.

 

[bencnorden]

will vzw be getting the 5 i haven't seen anything about them doing this yet

Yes almost certainly.

 

[kycophpd]

This is good to hear! It means there should be plenty of customer service people to help when I cancel my AT&T account and switch to Sprint!

 

[OLVFD]

Typical. But I have a question.

If android phones are outselling the iPhone why don't these carrier stores do the same thing when a new android phone comes out ?

Because 75% of people don't care about new phone technology, they just want a phone that can place/receive calls.

 

[BC2009]

This proves it.... AT&T is in fact getting the next iPhone.

 

[wackymacky]

Great, we know the phone is coming apron that day. Let's get some new rumors; i.e product specs and pics.

 

[soco]

I don't know if it was your attitude or the fact that you used "He" in reference to Steve Jobs as if he is God, but...

Or it's apple's new product. iPoo, made personally by steve. Thats why He had his factory upgraded a few months back. And he took a leave so he could ramp up production. You all know that people would pay for it, just to get Steves's latest greatest. All the signs point to it is.

Ignoring how linguistically confusing that was, it wasn't funny.

The 10 rumors a day that MACrumors are pouring out about an iPhone only reiterates a new device is coming. The invite itself says "iPhone" on it what kind of proof must you really have?

So because the invite says "iPhone" on it, that means we're getting new hardware? I'm convinced as much as anyone that it's 99% likely, but you're talking like the invite said, "Let's talk new iPhone" and it didn't. "Let's talk iPhone" just means iPhone as a platform.

How about some good old fashion Mac rumors instead of straight iPhone rumors for weeks on end.

How about you frequent a different website? 98% of the readers of MacRumors not only enjoy this frequency of iPhone/iOS stories and rumors here, but a bulk of that 98% understand the name of this site was created in a time when the iPhone didn't exist and Apple hadn't yet expanded to so many other product lines. If you're so angry about it, go to AppleRumors.com and shut up.

 

[euvnairb]

Why are they blacking out the days before the launch? Wouldn't it make sense to black out the days after the launch to make up for the added traffic the phone will generate?

 

[M-O]

Typical. But I have a question.

If android phones are outselling the iPhone why don't these carrier stores do the same thing when a new android phone comes out ?

because no android phone outsells the iPhone.

 

[EmbraceTheOne]

Probably because Android launches don't have near as much hype as Apple ones..

When you say "Android", Thats just the operating system. The iPhone is just one phone. Will much more hype than "Phone's'" with Android.

 

[BiggAW]

Probably because Android launches don't have near as much hype as Apple ones..

Yeah, they launch a new Android phone every other day. I just hope that a good phone doesn't come to AT&T while the JesusPhone is overwhelming the stores. I've been waiting for a good Android phone with a keyboard for a long time. Come on, AT&T, catch up to Verizon here!

 

[c-ker]

will vzw be getting the 5 i haven't seen anything about them doing this yet

Very good point! This, in combo with VZW iPhones stuck at IOS 4.2.10, does not bode well.