Michael Johnston
May 10th, 2007, 09:42 PM
<a href="http://www.iphonealley.com/?p=24" target="_blank">As previously noted</a>, Cingular/AT&T has been preparing stores to accommodate the iPhone and it doesn't seem to be stopping there. Apple Stores are being visited by technicians from Cingular, checking out reception of the cell network inside the stores themselves. This is obviously due to customers expecting decent reception during the buying experience.
Apple also seems to be hiring additional individuals for their iPhone team. <a href="http://theappleblog.com/2007/05/06/apple-holding-open-house-to-hire-for-iphone-team/" target="_blank">theAppleBlog reports</a> on a half-page newspaper ad being run in the sunday edition of The Record, advertising an open house. The event will take place on Apple's campus in Elk Grove. The ad:
<center><a href="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/hiringpaper_thumb.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/hiringpaper_thumb.jpg" alt="Apple hiring for iPhone" /></a></center>
It's awfully nice to see all of these preparations indicating that the launch of our beloved iPhone is still on schedule. According to Macrumors, iPhone support representatives are being trained from May 30th to June 20th. Macrumors seems to think this marks the launch date, but I'm willing to guess it doesn't have as much to do with it as they assume. My thinking is that the phone will most likely be announced for sale on June 11th during Steve Jobs' WWDC keynote and possibly shipped on the 20th, give or take a few days. Either way, I'm willing to bet I'll have one in my hand by June 22nd.
Apple also seems to be hiring additional individuals for their iPhone team. <a href="http://theappleblog.com/2007/05/06/apple-holding-open-house-to-hire-for-iphone-team/" target="_blank">theAppleBlog reports</a> on a half-page newspaper ad being run in the sunday edition of The Record, advertising an open house. The event will take place on Apple's campus in Elk Grove. The ad:
<center><a href="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/hiringpaper_thumb.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/hiringpaper_thumb.jpg" alt="Apple hiring for iPhone" /></a></center>
It's awfully nice to see all of these preparations indicating that the launch of our beloved iPhone is still on schedule. According to Macrumors, iPhone support representatives are being trained from May 30th to June 20th. Macrumors seems to think this marks the launch date, but I'm willing to guess it doesn't have as much to do with it as they assume. My thinking is that the phone will most likely be announced for sale on June 11th during Steve Jobs' WWDC keynote and possibly shipped on the 20th, give or take a few days. Either way, I'm willing to bet I'll have one in my hand by June 22nd.