What is AT&T’s “Project Charlie”?
A picture of Best Buy’s inventory database just surfaced and it has us seriously scratching our heads. Three new devices, known only as Charlie 1, Charlie 2 and Charlie 3 are listed with nothing but a description that reads “Project Charlie”. While it would be very easy (and fun) to get ahead of ourselves and speculate that something ultra-secret is coming to AT&T and soon, the tipster that sent in the pics seems to think the Charlie’s are nothing more than a way to get the new iPhone into the system without tipping people off. It’s either that or Best Buy has given up on fighting inventory system leaks and is just having a bit of fun at the expense of us bloggers. But they wouldn’t, would they?
@ahow628
Spot on!
Good on ya!
Three new phones coming up 8900, Samsung Jack, last spot new iphone?
What I think is:
8GB iPhone-$99
16GB iPhone-$199
32GB iPhone-$299
I used to work at BBY corp in BBY Mobile…the 3 skus are placeholders for 3 “secret” skus which I could only imagine as iPhone skus. Else, they would have named the device.
Apple/ATT aren’t allowed to tell retailers of an upcoming iPhone until Apple announces it. Since the sku set up process takes a little they must have been tipped off by ATT (without officially telling BBY).
Because early leak cost them tens of millions. Their current devices won’t sell, then they’ll need to mark them down to blow through inventory , and they must provide price protection to the large retailers, so it’s not just the inventory that the mfg. is holding, it’s most of the unsold inventory in the pipeline.
Check out the ATT website – they show Acer, Dell and Lenovo in their brands picklist, but no products listed. Netbooks?? Would love to see the new Acer phones.
Yeah I am going with the netbooks. They are on the AT&T website, but only available in ATL & Philly as of now. We are patiently waiting for them in the Big D. Should be happening (according to my GAM) by fall.
Y would everyone think it’s an Iphone? Ya’ll do realize that AT&T does more than be Apple’s “female dog” don’t you?
I work at a bestbuy and I don’t think there iPhones since there is another part in the inventory under Att for iPhones but you never know I guess
I don’t like any of them.
Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).
what im thinking charlie 1,2,3 are, are the new iphone in black for 8gb (charlie 1), and black and white for 16gb (charlie 2 & 3)….makes sense right?!
MadMike your comments are baseless, grow up.
And yes, they’re holder sku’s. I’ll bet $20 they’re “deleted” as well.
allow me to explain…….i am a best buy associate and work closely with the mobile department. charlie is a code name we use for elderly grandpa-like customers in our store… its a very common phrase at best buy and i wouldnt look too deep into it because best buys are the last branch to get any new release phones. its the carriers and manufacturers that keep it to themselves for a while.
steven glansburg ur a dipshit there is only one version of the pre and its not gonna come to att as much as we might want it to my bet is either iphone, motorola, or samsung related
Bogus, its Nokia related, 3 different colors.
You are all dumb if it was a netbook it would be listed in best buys system as supplier att first of all, it would have the manufacture name i.e dell acer ect. and for 2 in best buy system it wouldnt be under the “cell phone dept.” it would be under computers
@ david thande (and other equally moronic nitwits)
why? Why is important to be “first” then celebrate it? Why? Are you 12? You have no career? What kind of phone do you have?
Very Truly Yours,
Conrad Hernandez, Esq.
@ Conrad
Did you just catch on? Or are you upset you weren’t first?
There are three sides of an arguement — your side, my side and the right side.
@ david thande (if that really is your name)
Catch on to what??? It’s not the first time I’ve noticed your type write “first.” My favorite is when you aren’t first. You didn’t answer my question: why? Who gives a fuck? You think BG is sitting back think, “ooh, that David Thande guy is so cool!”? Don’t think so. If you’re goal is to be a minor irritant, mission accomplished. But I’m not as grumpy this morning as I was last night. So if it amuse you to be first then announce it, knock yourself out. Me, I’m gonna go do a jail visit now.
Very Truly Yours,
Conrad Hernandez, Esq.
anybody a finance rep with at&t?
Could it be the Sony Ericsson C905 (C as in Charlie), which is rumored to be heading for AT&T in June? It comes in 3 colors. Just a thought. More of a wish actually.
PRE will not be released in US til 4th quarter. lol best buy are greedy dumb fuks? Funny you should say that, while Circuit and other companies are falling, they’re still improving. Charlie is the new iPhone. The reason they keep it hidden is who would want to buy last years model? Why wouldnt they want to wait?…If I knew a new iPhone was coming out I wouldnt buy the current one. Its all about market strategy. Also if they decided that the new one wasnt ready they wouldn’t disappoint anyone.
Its going to be in all likelyhood a 16 gb and two different color 32 gb like apple always does.btw a netbook would not be under dept 3 att handsets
This is what the UPC represents. NICE!
Dummy (number system 4) UPCs are for private use. This means anybody (typically a retailer) that needs to assign a UPC to an item that doesn’t already have one, can use any number system 4 UPC it chooses. Most importantly, they can know that by doing so, they won’t pick one that may already be used. So, such a UPC can and does mean something different depending on who you ask, and there’s no reason to try to keep track of what products these correspond to