Following an identical report from Verizon, AT&T is reported to have blacked out vacation dates starting September 21, adding fuel to the rumor that says Apple’s next-generation iPhone will be hitting the shelves that day.
Citing an unnamed AT&T sales representative, TechCrunch reports the company has blocked employees from taking vacation from Sept. 21 to Sept. 30, the same dates blacked out by Verizon. Apple is expected to launch the sixth-generation iPhone on Sept. 21 following the handset’s announcement on Sept. 12.
The source says AT&T employees are undergoing training for an “iconic release,” they did not give any further details regarding the matter.
Another indicator that the release will occur that day is that Sept. 21 is a Friday, a day Apple traditionally reserves for product releases after a Tuesday announcement the week before. Last year, the iPhone 4S announcement was on Tuesday, October 4, with a the first day of sale on Friday, October 14. Apple is expected to begin taking pre-orders for the new handset the same day it is announced.
The new iPhone is expected to feature a larger 4-inch screen with in-cell technology, uni-body design, and a new 9-pin dock connector.
UPDATE: 9to5Mac is reporting that they have reached out to AT&T about the above story, and an AT&T spokesperson told them this morning that there is NO company-wide vacation blackout in place for the end of September.
AT&T reps at some stores did imply that more people are being put on duty, depending on the staffing levels of particular stores, but that there was no “blackout”.
