AT&T launches iPhone store finder for the planners

We know the pencil pushers, er, Excel gurus out there are already crunching numbers, mapping out routes, calculating the opportunity risk in ditching work entirely on Friday, and figuring if you'd rather wait for the next iteration, so here's one more asset to help you wrap your mind around an attack plan. AT&T's "Find a Store" feature now boasts a selection that enables users to find retail outlets nearby that will definitively stock iPhones, meaning that your strategy of misguiding your local "friends" to an empty store is likely to backfire. Additionally, an anonymous tipster has noted that current Cingular / AT&T customers who aren't yet eligible for a new contract can still purchase an iPhone, but it sounds like an extension to their current contract will be tacked if this does prove true. Enough chatter -- now, get back to your scheming.

[Thanks, Anonymous, image courtesy of Seattle Post-Intelligencer]

[Derek @ Jun 26th 2007 5:59PM]

i know that not all of the stores are going to have them the night of the launch....

where i live in sc there will only be 3 stores that have them the night of the launch

[Will @ Jun 26th 2007 7:09PM]

every COR store should have them by early friday afternoon...there's a reason everybody's store hours have been changed for friday

[Todd @ Jun 26th 2007 6:09PM]

Whoa, that worked really well. Put in zip, state and "iPhone Store" and it shows the Cingular store right round the corner from where I work will have them.

I guess the next thing I want is an AT&T is a web page that shows the iPhone unit allotment per store. Why start queuing up if there are only four of them?

[John @ Jun 26th 2007 6:20PM]

Anyone have a link that shows the number of returned phones due to that crappy keyboard.

[Ashley @ Jun 26th 2007 7:52PM]

there is a site..but of course i dont have the link on this computer

[Rainier @ Jun 26th 2007 6:41PM]

iPhone, therefore, iDitch

[iPhone Fan @ Jun 26th 2007 6:51PM]

OMG, thank you Engadget. I was going to die there without my daily iPhone news every ten minutes.

[Argot @ Jun 26th 2007 6:56PM]

For gods sake! It's a frikking phone! Not even a very special or good one! *sigh*

[spence @ Jun 26th 2007 7:15PM]

Shun the unbeliever!! Shhhhuuuuun.

[Gabe valabov @ Jun 26th 2007 6:57PM]

yup its true i called AT&T about 10 times each a different person , and they all said that you dont need to be eligable for an upgrade to get an iphone, so that means we all get an iphone!

[Joshua Easters @ Jun 26th 2007 7:05PM]

I have confirmed that you do not have to be eligible for upgrade to get the iphone. I called apple and at&t and they said that the contract starts over from the day you activate the iphone, but it does not have to be a new contract.

[sk @ Jun 26th 2007 7:11PM]

Please stop it already. Who cares about this none 3G overpriced marketing stunt called iPhone anyway. Please donate your $600 and any monthly service charges for the next two years to any good cause. There are many charitable organizations that need your money right now much more than you need this useless gadget. Together we can save a live...

[Damon @ Jun 26th 2007 7:15PM]

The iStore locator is down. Big surprise. Wonder if AT&T had any idea what they were getting themselves into!

[gray @ Jun 26th 2007 7:19PM]

fuck cingular for bending over backwards and taking it hard from apple..
apple's cool, they're just trying to make money...

[garver @ Jun 26th 2007 8:45PM]

Isn't every company trying to make money?

[Christopher Fesenmaier @ Jun 26th 2007 7:20PM]

So I'm as excited about the damn thing as the next guy. But I'm far too busy to be bothered with people and lines. Let's say I can wait a couple of days for the shipping to occur, I can just order it online at Apple.com and activate my contract from home via iTunes or whatever, right? Isn't this what I've been reading? And as far as that goes, why would anyone want to interact with an underpaid and pimple-faced employee when they could just wait it out one more week to avoid the whole "in-person" mess. It's not like we don't know how to wait. We've been doing it since what seems like time immemorial after the MacWorld thing. Am I missing something about the online ability to become an owner?

[Will @ Jun 26th 2007 7:25PM]

Alright, after seeing the price comparison sheet the last of my worries is gone, but does anyone know if we loose our rollover minutes if we upgrade to an iPhone plan?

[Matt @ Jun 26th 2007 7:38PM]

You guys going to post about all these reviews that are up (NYTimes.com, wall street journal, etc?) anytime soon?

[Kris @ Jun 26th 2007 10:08PM]

Hi guys -

I talked to an ATT rep on their online chat support line.

the 2 year contract gives you a new contract, it doesn't add anything to a existing contract - it just starts the new 2 years. That's it. I have some screen caps for proof if you want them.

This makes sense because you're not getting a discounted upgrade, which is how they get you to extend your contract. So technically you're paying them 600 bucks for a phone, and they get 2 years tacked on.

[Andr3w @ Jun 28th 2007 1:37AM]

You only lose your rollover minutes if you go down in minutes on your new plan. For example, if right now you had a 900 minute national plan for 59.99 a month and had 3000 rollover minutes, then switched on friday to the 450 minute iPlan, youd only keep 450 out of your original 3000 rollovers. Parallel moves and higher minute plan changes will not result in loss of rollovers.


Andr3w