AT&T preps for "iDay"

The largest mobile carrier in the US is preparing this week for the much-hyped iPhone launch event--almost two-years in the making: "iDay", as the company calls it, is Friday and the company has gone to extraordinary lengths to make the launch successful. In addition to shipments of the first iPhone accessories to its retail stores, AT&T told employees that the company will be providing updated information on a regular basis during the week leading up to the June 29th launch. "As the exclusive service provider for iPhone, we're iReady and very product to play a key role in one of the most highly anticipated consumer product launches ever..and we hope you feel the same way," the company wrote in its "The Countdown begins" memo to store employees.

Calling the iPhone a "game-changing product", it confirmed that sales begin at 6 p.m. local time and that it would post a list of retail stores selling the iPhone sometime before the launch (the number of stores is expected to expand following the launch). Earlier in the month, the company also promised a list of rate plans for the iPhone, so customers could be familiar with their options in advance of their purchase. Apple and AT&T have been working to release and promote information the new device -- mostly recently by publicizing Apple's recent 23-minute guided tour.

AT&T, which will be closing its stores for few hours before the 6 p.m. launch and implementing special crowd control features, emphasized that iPhones will not be available with a discount to any of its employees -- regardless of their position in the company. In addition, AT&T said that the device will not be compatible with discounted employee rate plans -- much like rumors about the lack of business plan discounts.

"We need to focus all [of] our resources on meeting that demand and for that reason, we will not offer employee discounts of any kind on the iPhone, nor will there be any concession on the rate plans used with this device," the memo read. "This applies to all employees at all levels."

The first iPhone accessories have also begun shipping to AT&T stores, according to sources who posted photographs on the internet (see below), including cases from DLO. Last week, we also noted the Strada line of luxury cases from Orbino.

by MacNN Staff