AfterDawn: News

Activation issues for iPhone buyers

One of the innovations of the new iPhone was that users could activate their phones and service from home, using iTunes.

It seems, for a good amount of users however, "including early customers who tried to activate their account or transfer numbers from another carrier", this strategy has failed. After downloading iTunes 7.3 and connecting the phone to their computer, activation failed.



Customer service representatives all agreed that the failure was caused by a "high number of simultaneous activations".

Many annoyed customers received the message "your activation requires additional time to complete" when trying to activate and were told they would receive an email from AT&T when they could complete the activation.

New customers cannot use any of the iPhone's functions before activating so many were left with a $600 paperweight. According to posts on Apple's support forums, some users have been waiting 15 or more hours without any resolution from Apple or AT&T.

There have also been complaints about automatically transferring an old number while others have had success moving from individual accounts to a Family Plan.

Source:
MacNN

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 1 Jul 2007 10:36

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• 15 comments

• andersg

  I kinda assumed things like this would happpen since the iPhone was such a big hit and soo many people rushed out to get it asap. Same as every new electronic craze.

  1.7.2007 11:27 #1

• Unfocused

  Quote:Customer service representatives all agreed that the failure was caused by a "high number of simultaneous activations". How many more people would be activating an iPhone at any given time in comparrison with all the other random people activating an AT&T/Cingular phone in all of the stores combined?
  
  Smells funny to me.

  1.7.2007 12:30 #2

• andersg

  Thats a good point.

  1.7.2007 12:35 #3

• WierdName

  Well thats what you expect. Everyone gets all hyped up with the craze and don't stop to think of the reason there are almost always updates for both software and hardware. The solution is simple, don't get first generation electronics.

  1.7.2007 12:49 #4

• andersg

  Agree'd ^^^^^, I learned this the hard way with my Xbox 360.

  1.7.2007 12:51 #5

• jacsac

  Quote:Customer service representatives all agreed that the failure was caused by a "high number of simultaneous activations".
  
  How many more people would be activating an iPhone at any given time in comparrison with all the other random people activating an AT&T/Cingular phone in all of the stores combined?
  
  Smells funny to me.What seems stupid is the fact that they have been hyping this and predicted high sales. Does it mean the sale was the only thing they were looking for? How brain dead do you have to be not to know there are going to be a bunch of brand new phones being activated at once?
  

  
  Protecting coffee tables everywhere!

  1.7.2007 12:53 #6

• theridges

  Quote:[quote]Customer service representatives all agreed that the failure was caused by a "high number of simultaneous activations".
  Quote:
  How many more people would be activating an iPhone at any given time in comparrison with all the other random people activating an AT&T/Cingular phone in all of the stores combined?
  
  Smells funny to me.
  
  its most likely a problem with Itunes and AT&T not just AT&T.....
  because what other phones get activated by iTunes is the Question?

  1.7.2007 18:11 #7

• borhan9

  This was to be expected due to the fact that after ever product that gets launched glitches like this would happen therefore this is why i would wait at least 12 months after the initial launch to acquire my phone or any other product.

  1.7.2007 18:54 #8

• unicphone

  spam not required. edited by ddp

  2.7.2007 05:48 #9

• plutonash

  Anyone else getting a little tried about all the iPhone news. Phone looks sweet and I have nothing against Apple but how many stories can they be about CE device?

  2.7.2007 06:12 #10

• tleewade

  the ones that bought it make up about half of one percent of population. 99 and half said no . hardly a big event.

  2.7.2007 07:00 #11

• AXT

  you shouldn't be required to activate your 600 dollar phone anyways.

  2.7.2007 14:38 #12

• Unfocused

  For $600, I better be able to make calls the minute that phone hits my hands.

  3.7.2007 00:27 #13

• akaangus

  Quote:For $600, I better be able to make calls the minute that phone hits my hands.For $600 the phone better come with a steak dinner and a laaaaappppppdaaaaance

  5.7.2007 05:13 #14

• rammstein

  I read in a different forum (that I can't find now) that you can download the ringtone that the iphone plays when it recieves a call. Anyone have a link to that site ?

  17.7.2007 15:33 #15