Leaked Memo Shows iPhone Importance to AT&T

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Posted July 2, 2009 at 3:37pm by iClarified

A leaked AT&T memo obtained by MacDailyNews indicates that the iPhone 3GS launch day was the best sales day ever for the company. It also set numerous other records.

You can read the memo below...

1. Fact of the Week: On June 25, the day Michael Jackson died, text messages sent on our network spiked at 65,000 messages per second — the largest volume ever recorded — surpassing events like American Idol voting and New Year's Eve, when millions of our customers wish their friends and family a happy new year via text."

2. "iLaunch day 2009 was one for the record books, as AT&MP;T customers scrambled to get their hands on the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet.

Here's a look at some of the milestones we achieved:

* Best-ever sales day in our retail stores
* Second-largest traffic day in our retail stores
* Most transactions processed via our IT systems in a single day
* Most upgrade eligibility checks in a single day
* Largest order day in att.com history
* Largest features sales day in att.com history

On this year's launch day, iPhone sales exceeded sales recorded on 2008's iPhone launch day, Black Friday 2008 and Dec. 26, 2008 — all heavy-volume sales days. In fact, this year we surpassed 2008's launch day sales at about noon Central time, and sustained our previous peak hour record, also set in 2008, for 11 straight hours.

Leaked Memo Shows iPhone Importance to AT&T

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Jeff - July 2, 2009 at 6:29pm

Well, Said.. And once AT&T isn't the only one with the iPhone You will see a lot of changes made. Once AT&T looses this, I think DEALS will start and all of a sudden Better Service and Customer Care. I DON'T think AT&T sees how much people are getting tired of this. I read somewhere the MMS was to be active by the end of "THIS" month, but I'd NOT hold my Breath. And Yes, MMS isn't all that to me, but should be there as the iPhone now supports it Again AT&T dropped the ball.. And if there are Extra Charges for MMS or Tethering, I think another Storm is A-Brew!

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MZ - July 2, 2009 at 7:16pm

True. IMO, I think Apple truly regrets the current arrangement with AT&T, and didnt realise AT&T would be as bad as they were. It has gotten to the point where AT&T is making Apple look bad since thier product cant be used as advertised (just ask all those ppl that bought a 3G but cant get a decent 3G signal so they can enjoy double the speed, not to mention MMS and tethering, dropped calls, expensive data packages, etc). Apple and Steve Jobs are too smart to allow AT&T to hold them back, and drag them down with them. When Apple first negotiated this agreement, they made it with Cingular executives...not AT&T. The companies had not merged yet. In fact, it was Cingular programers that worked with Apple to create visual voicemail, and if you guys remember, it was Cingular executives that were present at the WWDC when the original iPhone was announced, and were boasting about the spirit of cooperation btw them and Apple. However, when the Cingular-AT&T merger finally went through before the 2G launch date, and the companies became AT&T, customer service and that whole spirit of cooperation stuff went out the window, and AT&Ts policies prevailed as thier executives were basically in charge. Apple was basically dealing with AT&T, not the original Cingular guys who actually understood apples needs. And basically thats when the relationship btw them and Apple slowly started to deteriorate with each stupid AT@T move. I dont think Apple foresaw that the merger would end up with AT&T acting the way it is, thus they will prob give them the boot in 2010.

FV - July 6, 2009 at 9:07pm

completely agree with you guys. AT&T. I'm also sick and tired of them making wathever they want with millions of customers that they're lucky to have just because of the iPhone. Like one of you guys said I'll just sit and wait what they're gonna do when ppl's contracts expire and they start loosing customers.-

Johnny - July 2, 2009 at 5:35pm

YES!!!!!!! i am with you on that one Jeff...im tired of having to do certain things (im not saying what) to get mms to work on my iPhone on 3.0 wen it should've already been supported when it hit the streets!!! And as far as AT&T charging for tethering....hmmm....i don't think thats fair either being as how we ALREADY pay for UNLIMITED data plans for $30! We should get a free puppy with what we pay for monthly for the iPhone

Johnny - July 2, 2009 at 5:51pm

Gmoney - July 2, 2009 at 4:34pm

This is a load of B.S. The biggest payday for at&t was the release of the original iphone, and then 2nd place goes to the iphone 3g. Look at the lines that were there for each launch day and it will show u the reality of the matter.

Andrew - July 2, 2009 at 5:14pm

Yup have to agree, memo my back side! This is a PR stunt to trigger more 3Gs sales, i have yet to see anyone with the new iphone - i met lots of people when the first and 3G iphones came out and i for one wont be getting a 3Gs theres just not enough of a technological advance for me to get excited about.

MZ - July 2, 2009 at 6:05pm

The long lines dont actually mean they sold a lot more phones. The reason there were long lines for the 2G and 3G was due to short supply, big hype, limited distribution channels, activation troubles, etc. Although the shortages we somewhat planned to create hype and the perception of exclusivity, Apple and AT&T have gotten thier shit together since those launches and the process is a lot smoother now. For the launch days of the 2G and 3G, you could only get the phone at an AT&T or Apple store. However, with the 3Gs launch you could get the phone at a physical Apple store, a physical AT&T store, the online Apple store, the online AT&T store, at Best Buy, or at Walmart (which is where i got mine cus it was the only place not sold out), thus giving more people access at multiple locations. Just cus you didnt see lines, doesnt mean no ones buying. Plus the people that bought the 2G and 3G were mainly early adopters, while people buying the 3Gs are those same early adopters plus everyone and thier momma lol.

MZ - July 2, 2009 at 6:26pm

Actually, you might be right to a certain extent. I was thinkin total 3Gs sales at launch, not AT&T specific iPhone sales. Like you say, they could be just trying to hype up the 3Gs to make it seem like everyones getting one so people think that maybe they should go out and buy one too, but i still think there might be some truth to the memo