It might be a little like Christmas at AT&T stores Friday

Santa won’t be there, but managers of AT&T stores say they are expecting Christmastime-like crowds Friday.

The near six-month wait for the iPhone ends 6 p.m. on Friday for people waiting to buy the latest device from Apple. And AT&T stores are preparing. All AT&T stores, formerly known as Cingular, will be temporarily closed at 4:30 p.m. on Friday to prepare for the rush of people looking to buy the $499 to $599 phone. AT&T is warning customers interested in other phones to visit prior to the iPhone’s launch to avoid the rush.