Apple and FedEx Sneaking iPhones in Overnight?

AppleInsider recently reported that Apple plans to have slumber parties at each of it's 164 retail outlets tonight, on iPhone Release Day Eve. Each location will be reportedly staffed by two employees - a store manager and another employee. The purpose, the report speculated, was to provide additional security overnight.

Is Apple's plan a little more devious? According to ZDNet blogger Russel Shaw, it is.

Shaw suggests that the obvious reason that the employees are pulling the overnight is to receive iPhone shipments from FedEx. This would mean iPhones would be arriving to retail stores during the wee hours of the morning, instead of during the mid-day shutdown period Apple and AT&T stores are all performing.

According to Shaw, Apple's ruse is very "transparent". In reference to the previously reported midday arrival time for the iPhones, Shaw says "... do you really think mall management is going to allow the units to arrive at that point? Given the hype drive, could you just imagine the pandomonium?"