After several years of waffling, AT&T is swallowing the Cingular brand name whole.

Overnight, presumably when no one is looking, AT&T has been going around replacing all the "Cingular" trappings in stores with new AT&T signs and logos.

According to RCR Wireless News, "AT&T said that key retail locations in major markets now have the new external signage, and that most of the company's locations will feature AT&T branding by September."

What this is really about is the iPhone. AT&T wants to get all of this out of the way now, so that the iPhone is considered an AT&T device from day one.

It was only a matter of time: AT&T brand takes over Cingular retail locations [RCR Wireless News]