Apple is allegedly preparing its staff for the iPhone 8's launch. An internal memo from the company leaked online and suggests that Apple staff blackout dates will be declared from September 17 to November 4.
Tipster Benhamin Geskin — who has a mixed track record when it comes to leaks — shared the alleged Apple internal memo on Twitter. The supposed Apple blackout dates hint that the company will take this route to support a new product launch — possibly the iPhone 8.
Rumors are rife that the iPhone 8 or iPhone X, Apple's tenth anniversary smartphone, will launch around mid-September.
While chances are high that Apple will open preorders for the iPhone 8 a week after its launch, it can be safely assumed that the Apple staff blackout dates are being assigned to tackle heavy inflow of customer calls.
Apple Blackout Dates: What Does The Memo Reveal?
In the alleged memo, the Cupertino-based company directs the AppleCare team to not take any leaves between September 17 and November 4, to give excellent support to the consumers.
"In order to support out client during this very important time of the year, we will be implementing Black Out Days in all AppleCare programs for Advisors and Leaders," Apple directed its employees in the internal memo.
In the alleged internal memo, the Cupertino-based company also mentions that there are "new product announcements and launches in September," which indicates that the iPhone 8 may get launched during that timeline. In the memo Apple called all "hands to deck" by saying that the blackout days are subject to change based on the fluctuations in incoming support volume expectations.
However, it is advisable to take the news with a grain of salt as there are quite a few grammatical errors in the note Geskin shared on Twitter.
AppleCare Advisors & Leaders received an email.
So the September the 17th seems very very likely to be keynote day. pic.twitter.com/O6zlyB4fKx
— Benjamin Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) 25 May 2017
What Are Blackout Dates?
Blackout dates are basically a call out to all advisors and leaders in the company to not take leaves on some specific days. Employees are asked to be available on specific days when a company expects to see high call volumes.
Apple specifically requested the leaders and advisors of all AppleCare teams to not drop in Paid Time Off or Unpaid Time Off requests during the blackout period. Apple clearly states in the memo that it will not tolerate absence during these days and expects all employees to work during their assigned schedule.
Apple Blackout Dates: Why So Long?
Apple generally launches the iPhone in early September and starts shipping the orders during the latter part of the month. However, the internal memo states that the company expects high call volumes to persist for more than a month. This information hints that either a major upgrade is coming iFans' way, which is why Apple expects heavy consumer call inflow, or one of the products will get a delayed launch.
Rumors are rife that Apple will be launching three iPhones this year. One will be its 10th anniversary edition i.e. the iPhone 8, and the other two will be the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus' successors — iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus.
Some speculations also suggest that these phones may not release at the same time. The extended blackout dates possibly means that at least one of the next-gen iPhones could hit the shelves at a later date.
