AT&T, Delta, and Apple have announced a new partnership that will see the airline upgrade its fleet of devices to 5G-capable iPhone 12 models. Through this partnership, Delta will equip all 19,000 of its flight attendants with an iPhone 12 device.
In a press release, AT&T explains that this is part of Delta’s efforts to “lead the commercial airline industry into the 5G era.”
While a variety of smartphones support 5G nowadays, Delta and AT&T also point to the iPhone 12’s AR capabilities as reasons for choosing it over the competition:
Delta Air Lines will help lead the commercial airline industry into the 5G era. Together with AT&T Business and Apple, Delta will equip every one of their 19,000+ flight attendants with iPhone 12, enabling them to harness the power of AT&T’s nationwide 5G network to enhance the travel experience for all passengers.
- More accurately assessing in-cabin inventory quickly using AR with the camera on iPhone 12.
- Immersive training using AR to help flight attendants perform critical tasks – from safety checks to passenger assistance – from nearly anywhere.
Delta will also work with AT&T and Apple going forward to “develop new use cases and applications that will help Delta continue to set new standards for service.”
Delta is not the first airline to team up with Apple on rolling out iPhones to flight attendants. In 2019, British Airways gave all 15,000 of its cabin crew members an iPhone XR to help enhance the customer support experience. Apple and IBM also worked with United Airlines to distribute iPhones and iPads to its employees in 2017.
You can learn more about the new partnership between Apple, AT&T, and Delta in the full press release right here.
