Despite Policy, AT&T Stores Taking iPhone Pre-orders

There may be some good news for those of you who are hoping to avoid scrambling to get your own Apple iPhone when the device finally arrives in stores. Despite a well publicized AT&T policy that the iPhone would not be available for pre-ordering and that stores would not have a waiting list, it seems that employees at AT&T's retail outlets are taking matters into their own hands.

A survey published May 22 by The Channel Checkers claims that 64% of the 36 stores sampled admitted to having a customer waiting list for purchasing the iPhone. The survey also reported that the average number of customers on each store's waiting list was 25, though one store said their waiting list was almost 2,000 customers long.

AT&T and Apple have both stated that officially the iPhone will be sold only on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, these rogue waiting lists could make it harder for the average customer to get their hands on an iPhone.

We surveyed a few stores of our own today after learning of The Channel Checkers report and found that none of the 10 stores surveyed admitted to maintaining waiting lists. Still, if you're determined to have an iPhone when it is released, it might not hurt to find and get on a waiting list, wherever they are.

An unconfirmed report from one of the store managers we spoke with indicated that AT&T has received over 2 million calls inquiring about the iPhone.