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Eager to get an iPhone, but concerned you may be left wanting when AT&T ships the smartphone next month due to overwhelming demand? Try heading on down to your local AT&T (Cingular) store to see if you can have your name placed on a waiting list.

A waiting list, you ask? Yep. It appears many AT&T stores, contrary to the operator's official policy of no pre-orders, may in fact be doing just that for Apple's eagerly-awaited iPod/phone/Internet device hybrid.

According to a recent posting by Channel Checkers, which surveyed 36 of AT&T/Cingular's approximately 10,000 stores, 64 percent of respondents indicated that - yes indeed - they are keeping a waiting list. The remaining AT&T outlets are apparently sticking with the home office's official policy of planning to sell the iPhone on a "first come first serve" basis.

Reportedly, the average number of names per waiting list is 25. One New York City store has thus far compiled one with 1,900 people, while another, which wouldn't give an exact number, says its list runs into the thousands, however. Channel Checkers says it excluded these stores when determining its average.

Channel Checkers boils the iPhone-waiting-list phenomena down to sales-people, who work on commission, being "industrious."

AT&T's official position remains it is not taking pre-orders.

"Our take on our quick survey is that demand for the iPhone is probably going to surprise even Apple fanatics in the early days," states Channel Checkers. "We expect sell-outs and complaints about lack of availability of the phone."

Not only that, Channel Checkers says iPhone manufacturing could be behind schedule due to some part delays; so, as a result , it likely won't ship by June 15 as expected.