AT&T hires 2,000 extra workers for iPhone launch
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AT&T Inc.  said on Thursday it has hired 2,000 temporary store workers to handle its much-hyped introduction of the iPhone, the first cell phone from iPod music player maker Apple Inc. .
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(InfoWorld) - The number of iPhones manufactured by Apple may not be enough to meet customer demand when the smart phone goes on sale later Friday, CEO Steve Jobs said in an interview published the same day. "We had to make our best guess as to what the demand was going to be and what supply we were going to put in place many, many months ago. We built factories to build these things and everything. We've taken our best guess but it wouldn't surprise me at all if it ain't enough," Jobs told the Wall Street Journal in an interview. The iPhone, which combines the functions of an iPod with a smart phone, goes on sale in the U.S. at 6 p.m. and is one of the most anticipated gadgets in recent years. Two models will offered, the 4GB model costs $499 and the 8GB model is priced at $599. Users also have toÂ sign a two-year contractÂ with carrier AT&T. The cost of those plans range from $59.99 per month to $99.99 per month. Some prospective buyers have beenÂ camping outside storesÂ in hope of being among the first to own one of the new smart phones. A surge in demand for the iPhones could mean the devices are hard to come by at first, depending on the number that Apple and AT&T have in stock. A shortage of iPhones would not be unusual. Vendors often have a limited number of units to sell when a new product hits the market. In the case of products where demand is particularly high, such as for new game consoles, limited product availability -- whether intentional or not -- andÂ long lines outside storesÂ help build buzz and generate media coverage. Jobs also downplayed concerns over the iPhone's dependence on AT&T's EDGE network, which is slower than 3G (third-generation) networks. "You know every (AT&T) Blackberry gets its mail over EDGE. It turns out EDGE is great for mail, and it works well for maps and a whole bunch of other stuff. Where you wish you had faster speed isâ¦on a Web browser. It's good enough, but you wish it was a little faster. That's where sandwiching EDGE with Wi-Fi really makes sense because Wi-Fi is much faster than any 3G network," Jobs told the Wall Street Journal. He said the iPhone had been designed to switch to Wi-Fi when such networks are detected. Â
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AT&T Inc. sold almost all its  initial stock of Apple Inc.&#39;s iPhone within hours of the device  going on sale, an AT&T spokesman said on Saturday.
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Brace yourself for a $2,000 phone bill AT&amp;T and Apple have announced what the iPhone will cost customers over the two-year contract they'll be obliged to sign - and it's pretty-much what AT&amp;T charges customers already.â¦
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Blog: AT&T has released pricing information for the new iPhone, with plans starting at $60 per month.
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AT&T Inc. sold almost all its initial stock of Apple Inc.'s iPhone within hours of the device going on sale, an AT&T spokesman said on Saturday.
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The iPhone won't be just for customers living in the big cities. On the day it is introducing the hugely hyped cell phone, AT&T announced it will acquire wireless provider Dobson Communications for $2.8 billion in cash.
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AT&amp;T Inc. has spent $50 million to beef up its relatively slow wireless network in anticipation of the heightened activity expected to follow the iPhone's debut next week, but any customer who isn't wowed by the new gadget will find it costly to cancel the service.
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The Apple iPhone can reduce the total number of devices used by employees and thus increase productivity.
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AT&T says it activated only 146,000 iPhones in the first two days the device was for sale.
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For over 75 people lined up at the AT&T store in Ashburn, Virginia -- a major technology center and nearby to companies such as AOL -- excitement quickly turned to anger as dozens who waited over five hours were left without an iPhone due to the store's paltry stock of just 14 phones.
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AT&T Inc.  sold almost all  its initial stock of Apple Inc.&#39;s  iPhone within hours  of the device going on sale, an AT&T spokesman said on  Saturday.
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Unlocked and loaded Efforts to open up the functionality of Apple's iPhone to users disinclined to sign up to expensive two year contracts with AT&amp;T are growing.â¦
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As iDay approaches -- when Apple&#39;s much-publicized iPhone goes on sale -- AT&T Wireless is getting all hands on deck. The phone giant has added 2,000 extra salespeople to its store workforce for the June 29 launch, and its tactics sound more like those of a four-star general than a cell phone retailer.
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Just how much will the iPhone boost AT&T's business?
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Apple will produce 2.7 million iPhones in the next quarter, which is almost double its original plans, according to reports.
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AT&T said today it plans to move 2,000 outsourced tech support jobs onto its payroll by late 2008.