Apple has just announced that its retail stores will be closed on Friday, June 29th between 2 and 6pm to prepare for the iLaunch. Many retail AT&T stores have announced they will also close between 4 and 6pm for similar reasons. Each store will start selling iPhones at 6pm local time, so we're expecting some great iPhone unboxing pictures for those of you lucky enough to live on the East coast.
As TUAW reader Fred Manning points out, we fully expect people to run through the mall shouting "The Apple Store is DOWN!". What will really, really make it special though is, as TUAW reader Brian suggests, if someone puts a giant yellow Post-it on the store. Any takers? Any takers? Send us a link to your photo via our Tip form.
Thanks, Jonathan.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-26-2007 @ 2:05PM
Fred said...
Will people be running through the mall screaming, "THE APPLE STORE IS DOWN!!!!" ?
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6-26-2007 @ 2:07PM
f said...
i also heard that the apple store closes at night but opens in the morning.
erica, please post content.
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6-26-2007 @ 2:08PM
Gregory Andrew said...
Don't worry.....I'll be sending pictures the second after I get it!! I'm in NY, but far enough away from the city that i'll be one of the very first people to get it!!
:-D
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6-26-2007 @ 2:21PM
Rick said...
Curious about the "online purchase" option...what would the online store consider as its local time?
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6-26-2007 @ 2:26PM
Kyle said...
f, not 100% right, at least not in NY! Erica, good job finding this story, as I had heard they would be closing at 4 like the ATT stores. Good Job!
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6-26-2007 @ 2:36PM
brian said...
But will there be a giant yellow Post-It note on the door?
I will not be buying an iPhone but I will hit the mall (en route from my day job to my night job) to check out the madness.
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6-26-2007 @ 2:37PM
Fraser Drew said...
PLEASE PLEASE someone run through a mall somwhere and YouTube it. That is the best idea i've heard in a long time!
I unfortunately live in the UK, so thats a no go!
Please.!?!?!?!?!
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6-26-2007 @ 2:37PM
Fred said...
Hey 6.
I think it's to keep people from calling into work to get one (not that it's working) because they just figure they'll swing by the store after work.
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6-26-2007 @ 2:44PM
Ralph said...
Some Apple Store, somewhere, has got to do the giant post-it note thing. A sheet of yellow poster paper and a giant Marks-a-lot and you've got a great visual gag.
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6-26-2007 @ 3:10PM
PeiPei said...
@Rick. Doesn't really matter, does it? I mean, you wont be GETTING the iPhone the second you buy it.
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6-26-2007 @ 3:29PM
Randy said...
Hey 6. The reason for the 6pm launch is simple: Publicity. Apple wants the mania to be seen all over everyone's 6 o'clock news. People will tune into their evening news hour that night and see scenes of long lines in front of Apple and AT&T stores, and crazed people happily waiting to get the new iPhone. And the mania will travel like a wave accross the country, because it releases at 6 o'clock local time in each time zone, so this coverage will be repeated every hour in a new time zone going east to west. This release time and the slow drip of new information each day is a well thought out and executed marketing plan by Apple. I think it's quite brilliant actually.
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6-26-2007 @ 3:50PM
Dan Shewmaker said...
Does anyone else find it an odd coincidence that the iPhone and Pixar's Ratatoille come out on the same day. An why 6 PM? It would be much easier to start selling them on Friday morning or Saturday morning, after being able to set-up over night, instead of during normal shopping hours....
Dan
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6-26-2007 @ 4:22PM
iBode said...
Giant post-it note = genius.
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6-26-2007 @ 9:15PM
Alex Marchuk said...
I'm in New Jersey, I we get it first on the east cost, so I will try to get photos, I'll bring my Macbook Pro, and camera so i can use Apple's WiFi to register the iPhone, and take some pics and upload them. :D
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6-28-2007 @ 1:50AM
Jacob said...
@Randy
Unless the crowds are much smaller than expected, then Apple has huge egg on their face. I sincerely hope the hype will translate into sales b/c if it doesn't it will be a PR disaster for both Apple & AT&T.
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