Apple is preparing for a huge in-store iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launch day this week, and the company’s secret playbook for September 19 has been made available to 9to5Mac. Apple has already sold more than 4 million iPhone 6 units in the first 24 hours of preorders, and it’s likely it’ll sell even more devices during the phones’ actual in-store launch.
FROM EARLIER: Here’s a look at 200,000 iPhone 6s on a 747 on their way from China
Unsurprisingly, Apple has a complex plan in order to make sure it moves as many iPhone 6 units as possible in its retail stores on Friday. Apple will be both handling walk-in customers who haven’t preordered the handset, and buyers who have already preordered their iPhones and chosen the personal pickup option their iPhone 6 of choice.
According to the document, as early as September 17 Apple retail stores will start receiving iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. At that point, 4% of overall inventory across SKUs will be held out in order for Apple to be able to replace any faulty iPhone 6 units, or at least one of each phone version. Furthermore, devices that have been preordered for in-store pickup will be set aside so they’re not sold to walk-in buyers.
At 5 a.m. on launch day, Apple specialists are instructed to start interacting with customers waiting in line, and divide them into to queues, one for pick-ups and one for walk-ins. Apple will also apparently use a new digital queue system to distribute reservations passes (via SMS or email), which can be stored inside Passbook by those iPhone 6 buyers that already own iPhones. Users who don’t have mobile devices will be given regular physical cards. Refreshments, including coffee and water, will also be provided.
The actual iPhone 6 sales will begin at 8 a.m., at which point customers in both lines will be handled by an Apple specialist who will process the purchase and offer Personal Setups for the new iPhone.
A picture showing Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launch day playbook follows below.
