iPhone rumor du jour: June 20th release date
By Ryan Block 
posted May 25th 2007 5:47PM
posted May 25th 2007 5:47PM
Ok, another iPhone rumor -- you want to be looped in, don't you? If not then just wait, there'll be another post along shortly. Anywho, supposedly according to a CNBC "On the Money" report, an AT&T store told them Apple's cellphone would launch on June 20th. Which is hilarious because if you call 10 different cellphone stores you're bound to get ten different answers regarding the launches of upcoming products -- especially the hottest phones. Why? Mostly just because those clerks read the rumors online just like you. Surely enough, the AP apparently called a bunch of AT&T stores and got launch dates franging from June 11 to June 22, but nothing certain from Apple or AT&T corporate. Still, makes for some amusing Friday reading, dunnit?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Read - MacRumors reports
Read - AP follows up
i can tell you this for a fact, no sales rep in any at&t store knows when it's launching. we get about 3 internal documents a week...including 2 today and all any of them say is June. no specific date in june and if anybody tells you otherwise they're lying
Will is right, the lowest ranking people at AT&T that know details would be the Directors of Sales (DOS) for a given area, and of course apple has them sign papers to keep quiet. No store reps, store managers, or even area managers know official launch dates. However, I did overhear some coversations between a few DOS's and I know that it is supposed to be launched on a Friday, and along with some other internal documents dealing with store scheduling would also point to definaetly the last 2 weeks of June. My guess is it will Launch on the 15th or the 22nd, and most likely the 22nd. I heard some other cool new info, but I dont know how true it is, and no reason to start rumors. Really the only solid info about this that is relable is on the apple or AT&T site.
Just a thought: you know how when someone tells you about the greatest movie they ever saw, and you just have to see it too because its just so great? I mean' it really is the best movie ever! then when you finally get around to seeing it, and its only ok, or maybe not even that great. It probally was a good movie, your expectations were just set to high. But think about it.... Its just a phone.
Actually this should be iPhone rumor du last week because I dropped a tip to Engadget Mobile AND Boy Genius Report that my brother who grew up with his friend who is a DoS for AT&T said the drop date IS June 20th. Not June 15th not June 434st. June 20th. And I bet my left nut that when June 20th rolls around you can come back to this post and it WILL HAVE DROPPED on that date. As Rodney Dangerfield says, "I get no respect, no respect at all" :)
you have a brother..., who grew up with this guy..., thats now a DoS for AT&T..., and he said...
Ohh, well; then this must be true.
But I have a friend whose brother's girlfriend's dad went to high school with this guy that lives next door to Steve Jobs, and he said June 22nd. The longer it takes, the better. Because once it comes out, no one will have anything to talk about. :) relax,it is only a cell phone! although a very cool cell phone; but still just a phone.
with the release date officially made for June 29th, looks like come June 20th you will be short one iPhone and a left nut.
No joke. I went by a Cingular/AT&T in Cedar Hill, TX, and they told me June 26 for the release date.
I was grilling my favorite corp store rep on the impending release of the Curve and he didn't know when that was, only a guess, when he said he was surprised I wasn't grilling him about the iPhone. Eventually I asked him if they had even given the store reps an ETA and he said all they'd told them in his store is June.
So, yeah, I guess they'll know when at&t wants them to know, which will probably be around the time they want us to know. Whenever that is.
I want a Curve. I want an iPhone. I want it all, really, like any good phone geek.
All I know is Apple is really f*&^ing around. This DRM thing is going to kill them. They launch a new service with NO DRM and better quality at a slightly higher price, but oops, they forgot to mention they include your name and email address embedded in that file so if you send it to someone or upload it theres a watermark identifying you. Oh SLIGHT oversight. I mean how did you think Apple was going to get EMI to cast away DRM and sign onto this fraud? Controlling pirating.I dont upload and I dont share. So what, I cant sell my iPod now with all my music on it when I decide to shell out $500 for the latest model? No, I have no idea what that person will do with my library.
And seriously the iPhone was announced in what, 1937? And still no release date. I gave up and bought a pocket PC which I LOVE and it actually has buttons. Any big big release of anything has a highly publicized release date to build up hype for THE DAY (ummmm think blockbuster movies people) . iPhone has nothing. This tells me they aren't ready and rumour has it their manufacturer in Asia is having major issues with getting this product out at projected costs because component costs have gone way up.
So essentially you're all about to have a crappy, thrown together at the last minute, phone with no buttons. Think about it, when you're in your car and have to dial, you do it by feeling with your fingers. Touch screens will not cut it. And there is NO voice dial. Phone rings in the middle of the night, you're groggy, what do you press? Your house is on fire, touch screen? Theres smoke all round and you cant see, but other phones with buttons you could feel to call 911. I for one no longer have a land line, theres no reason to, so this stuff is of major concern. The other concern is price. We've already heard the second generation iPhone rumors. Why shell out the cash now only to have a better model in 6 months? My iPod was out of date 30 seconds after I bought it. Same will happen with iPhone. And Cingular? Remember the transition, way back , a thousand corp purchases ago, they were Omnipoint. The joke of the industry. They approached Verizon first and they declined...why? That is yet to be seen.But surely Verizon had a reason.
Id like to see the paparazzi leave Lindsay Lohan alone for a bit and start photographing Steve Jobs to see which phone he REALLY uses. Also, Cingular/ATT offers GPS directions on a bunch of their phones. The iPhone has Google maps, yet offers no GPS option? Granted you pay $10 a month extra but you'd think if they offer it for a pocket PC it should be a feature for this phone that is supposed to revolutionize the free world. Besides what good is a small 3" map while your driving if the directions aren't called out to you. Just print a Google map, its bigger and safer to read on the road.
This from someone who was salivating over this phone and could not wait to get it. It was like Christmas for me, but they waited too damn long after the initial hype. Essentially they left too much room for bloggers to see it for what it is and report their findings.
Good luck Apple.
@jMan
Yes you are absolutely right and I was wrong. I am sorry about that but PLEASE dont take my nut! I like them both they make a good pair ;x