Retail job postings may hint at mid-August iPhone 5 launch

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Job postings for a number of seasonal iPhone sales staff in the U.K. this summer appear to suggest a mid-August launch of Apple's next-generation iPhone.



CNet UK uncovered the postings, which were discovered on the U.K. employment site Reed.



"Our client, Apple, one of the largest consumer electronic hardware and software companies in the world are seeking full-time iPhone Sales Staff for an exciting project to work 5 days a week (Tuesday-Saturday) for the period 16th August - 29th October within key retail stores," the posting reads.



According to the listing, only applicants willing to commit "to the period of the campaign" will be considered.



Given the proscribed seasonality for the new employees, the sales staff appear to be extra help brought on to handle an influx of customers during the launch of Apple's so-called iPhone 5. Though the listing by no means serves as concrete evidence of mid-August launch, it does indicate that, at least in the U.K. retail preparations for the new device are ramping up through the summer and into the fall.







Successful candidates would attend a "4 day training event" in London from August 9 to 12. The job pays £75 per day and involves working to "generate and grow iPhone sales and ensure sales targets are met" while providing a "first class customer service experience."



Gekko, the recruiter who posted the listings, boasts several years of experience working with Apple. The company's website boasts of a "Most Innovative Campaign" award for a staffing campaign for Apple that brought in "nearly £2 million in hardware sales alone."



The mid-August timeframe would line up with indications from suppliers on Wednesday that Apple's next iPhone will launch in the third quarter of calendar 2011. Bloomberg reported last month that the next iPhone will go on sale in September and feature an A5 processor and an 8-megapixel camera.



According to a recent report by The Wall Street Journal, Apple plans to build 25 million units of the next iPhone by the end of this year. The device is expected to be thinner and lighter than its predecessor and sport wireless baseband chips from Qualcomm. It should also be noted that some analysts expect the next-generation iPhone to arrive in late September or possibly as late as the fourth quarter of this year.



Earlier this month, component suppliers claimed Pegatron had been contracted to produce 15 million units of the new handset. However, a new report on Wednesday suggested Pegatron's share of next-gen iPhone production may be closer to 10 million as rival manufacturer Foxconn has exerted efforts to protect its orders.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 26
    t0mat0t0mat0 Posts: 58member
    Don't forget the BCM4330 chip. And potentially the Global Locate's hand in either the iPhone 5 or iPhone 6's GPS update.

    Will be interesting to see where the iPod event falls now if this will be the Tuesday 16th August.
  • Reply 2 of 26
    jakevin.jakevin. Posts: 71member
    Makes sense that they'd launch it in August, especially if new Mac releases as rumours to go hand in hand with Lion go ahead. They'll need something around that August period to generate some interest, and then the iPod event can go ahead as usual in September/October.



    One thing that goes against this is that we've been told to expect iOS 5 in the Fall - August is clearly not the US Fall and iPhone 5 will not be released running iOS 4...



    Perhaps an August announcement and lowering of iPhone 4 prices so the last two weeks of August have extra sales on them, and then an early September release of iPhone 5 much like the iPad 2 introduction earlier this year.
  • Reply 3 of 26
    jonoromjonorom Posts: 293member
    I hope that this delay in release of the "5" is related to the 4G power problem. It would be beautiful if Apple managed to solve that and be first to market with a power-sipping 4G phone. Otherwise, why the delay, for a product that is rumored to be a minor upgrade? Why? Just to deliver a world phone? I expect more from Apple.
  • Reply 4 of 26
    cameronjcameronj Posts: 2,357member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JONOROM View Post


    I hope that this delay in release of the "5" is related to the 4G power problem. It would be beautiful if Apple managed to solve that and be first to market with a power-sipping 4G phone. Otherwise, why the delay, for a product that is rumored to be a minor upgrade? Why? Just to deliver a world phone? I expect more from Apple.



    There is no delay.
  • Reply 5 of 26
    2oh12oh1 Posts: 503member
    "generate and grow iPhone sales and ensure sales targets are met"



    Huh?



    That sounds more like Windows phone than iPhone. iPhones sell themselves... or have people forgotten the insane demand when the iPhone 4 hit the market last year? Apple Store employees are there to help, not sell.



    I bought my iPhone the morning the iPhone 4 went on sale. I'd never owned one before. I waited in a line for two hours (and I was nowhere near the back of the line!). When I got in the Apple Store, I assumed the salesperson would want to rush because there were so many people waiting. Instead, the guy said "No rush at all. You have your ticket, so this is your time. Let me show you how your iPhone works." Apple should start a consulting business to teach OTHER business how to treat customers!



    Aaaaaaaaaanyway... that line struck me as bogus. Apple doesn't hire Apple Store employees to sell stuff. But then again, if Apple is using recruiters to hire, it could be that the recruiters aren't used to the Apple way of doing things.



    ...?
  • Reply 6 of 26
    jakevin.jakevin. Posts: 71member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cameronj View Post


    There is no delay.



    We don't necessarily know whether there is or not - perhaps Apple hoped to get the iPhone to the market by July but couldn't due to hardware issues or iOS 5 not being ready... perhaps it chose to wait until Fall.
  • Reply 7 of 26
    cameronjcameronj Posts: 2,357member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jakevin. View Post


    We don't necessarily know whether there is or not - perhaps Apple hoped to get the iPhone to the market by July but couldn't due to hardware issues or iOS 5 not being ready... perhaps it chose to wait until Fall.



    Perhaps they wanted it out in 2008. Fact is, a delay is only a meaningful term when it is accompanied by some expectation of a launch time created by the company, and no, history does not count. Apple never created any expectations for this year's iPhone, so it didn't miss them.
  • Reply 8 of 26
    jakevin.jakevin. Posts: 71member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cameronj View Post


    Perhaps they wanted it out in 2008. Fact is, a delay is only a meaningful term when it is accompanied by some expectation of a launch time created by the company, and no, history does not count. Apple never created any expectations for this year's iPhone, so it didn't miss them.



    Apple may not have released any 'expectations for this year's iPhone' but it most certainly would have internal expectations and proposed release dates. So who knows how often an iPhone, or other Apple product, is delayed or not. This iPhone definitely could've been delayed - just because they didn't tell us, which would've been an awful move, doesn't mean it wasn't/isn't delayed.



    But as I said already, perhaps it was planned for the time in which it will launch. At the end of the day, who cares? We're getting it when we're getting it. End of story.
  • Reply 9 of 26
    cameronjcameronj Posts: 2,357member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jakevin. View Post


    Apple may not have released any 'expectations for this year's iPhone' but it most certainly would have internal expectations and proposed release dates. So who knows how often an iPhone, or other Apple product, is delayed or not. This iPhone definitely could've been delayed - just because they didn't tell us, which would've been an awful move, doesn't mean it wasn't/isn't delayed.



    Exactly. It's ahead of schedule.
  • Reply 10 of 26
    cloudgazercloudgazer Posts: 2,161member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 2oh1 View Post


    Aaaaaaaaaanyway... that line struck me as bogus. Apple doesn't hire Apple Store employees to sell stuff.



    They do - they sell you stuff by not selling you stuff. Apple is growing the iPhone by making the experience of an iPhone pleasurable, from the moment you try it out in the store, through the unpacking, and with the usage.



    I guess they have the 4 day training course to teach the neophytes the art of low pressure selling.
  • Reply 11 of 26
    cloudgazercloudgazer Posts: 2,161member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jakevin. View Post


    Makes sense that they'd launch it in August, especially if new Mac releases as rumours to go hand in hand with Lion go ahead. They'll need something around that August period to generate some interest, and then the iPod event can go ahead as usual in September/October.



    They may want to try the new retail servoids out in the store for a week or two so that everything is running smoothly for the actual launch. So just because these guys are starting in mid August doesn't mean the product launch isn't early September.
  • Reply 12 of 26
    I expect the iPhone 5 to go on sale anytime from Friday 23th September to Friday 7th October. Or thereabouts.
  • Reply 13 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cloudgazer View Post


    They may want to try the new retail servoids out in the store for a week or two so that everything is running smoothly for the actual launch. So just because these guys are starting in mid August doesn't mean the product launch isn't early September.



    Yes, as I went on to say in the post you semi-quoted. I agree though - that would make a lot of sense but I expect it will be released around the exact same point iPods are each year -first week of September.
  • Reply 14 of 26
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cloudgazer View Post


    They do - they sell you stuff by not selling you stuff. Apple is growing the iPhone by making the experience of an iPhone pleasurable, from the moment you try it out in the store, through the unpacking, and with the usage.



    I guess they have the 4 day training course to teach the neophytes the art of low pressure selling.



    Low pressure sales the Apole way: "know your product". After that there are a number of "ways Of saying things without saying them's", and finally "be happy and helpful".

    The result is that the Apple sales staff are nothing short of the best. I always leave a happy camper.
  • Reply 15 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JimFoster View Post


    I expect the iPhone 5 to go on sale anytime from Friday 23th September to Friday 7th October. Or thereabouts.



    I think it is likely. If rumors are to be believed that Apple delayed the new MBAs due to Lion, it does not make sense that they would release iPhone 5 without iOS 5.



    It's all about the complete package!
  • Reply 16 of 26
    gijoeinlagijoeinla Posts: 215member
    Let's face it. Last year Apples "surprise" launch of iPhone 4 was destroyed by the breach of the lost or stolen demo model. Clearly they have gone to great lengths to blunt the same thing occurring this year. All the talk about a minor upgrade is bogus I think. The only i5 out in the wild seems likely concealed inside a good ol i4, hence all the confusion. Apple is going to bring the element of surprise back in their corner that will amount to hundreds of millions dollars in mega publicity with huge lines all around the globe. The PR on this version is going to be crushing to other smart phone makers going into the holidays. Brilliant move on Apples part to "delay". Anticipation with all this uncertainty and secrecy is going to pay off in spades. Not to mention it's the first iPhone cycle that includes Verizon and Att subs. Watch out Att.. The churn rate is gonna b nutz. Look for ATT to have some exclusive or special retention offer come on sale day... Can't wait. :wow
  • Reply 17 of 26
    Post deleted
  • Reply 18 of 26
    shaun, ukshaun, uk Posts: 1,050member
    That advert is to work in my local AppleStore 5 mins walk from where I live. I might apply .
  • Reply 19 of 26
    Only for one store and one vacancy. Does not mean the need is nationwide i.e. might not be a new launch or might be to cover sickness or planned leave. The advertiser is not even Apple directly.
  • Reply 20 of 26
    joindupjoindup Posts: 80member
    If the job starts mid August, allowing for training, you'd have to assume the big event is in early September, running for a couple of months until the initial rush dies down. I predict iPhone 5 with iOS 5 and iPod touch 5th gen released globally on Sept. 6th.
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