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Does Anyone Know Anything About Activating An Original iPhone?

I

iPh0neTy

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 13, 2012
77
0
So I am having this debate in my mind. I bought an original iPhone as a collectors item. It's mint condition, open box, but never used. If you look up the serial on Apple's website it says it's never been activated and it's stuck on the activation screen.

I looked up the serial number to find out that it was manufactured the the 27th week of 2007. That's July 2-9th. The iPhone was first released on July 11th so it's a first production.


I am debating on whether or not to activate it. I know it was a different process to activate back then, cant just plug into itunes. I'm worried on one hand that if I activate it, it will lose value. On the other hand I am worried if I don't activate it now Apple may close the process required to activate it in the future and it may be stuck on the activation screen for good.

What do you think? And does anyone know anything about activating an original iPhone?
 
numberforty1

numberforty1

macrumors 6502
Oct 6, 2012
402
0
Canada
iPh0neTy said:
So I am having this debate in my mind. I bought an original iPhone as a collectors item. It's mint condition, open box, but never used. If you look up the serial on Apple's website it says it's never been activated and it's stuck on the activation screen.

I looked up the serial number to find out that it was manufactured the the 27th week of 2007. That's July 2-9th. The iPhone was first released on July 11th so it's a first production.


I am debating on whether or not to activate it. I know it was a different process to activate back then, cant just plug into itunes. I'm worried on one hand that if I activate it, it will lose value. On the other hand I am worried if I don't activate it now Apple may close the process required to activate it in the future and it may be stuck on the activation screen for good.



What do you think? And does anyone know anything about activating an original iPhone?
Click to expand...

No idea, but it's cool that you have a first production. I'd maybe give the apple store a call and do some investigating. Myself I'd leave it unactivated.
 
Applejuiced

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
Before on the original iphone you would need to pick your minute, data and text plan in order to activate on a certain line.
Now for over a year or so they have changed it so people cannot use it to activate unlimited data plans on their AT&T lines any more.
So all it does is it activates normal like all other iphones. Stick an active AT&T sim and plug it to itunes and it will activate.
 
Beeplance

Beeplance

macrumors 68000
Jul 29, 2012
1,564
500
Wow buying an original iPhone in mint condition in 2012 must be really expensive. Why don't you just leave it unactivated, at a higher value?:confused:
 
Jordan921

Jordan921

macrumors 603
Jul 7, 2010
5,069
2,171
Bay Area
Just get a active SIM card and activate it. I've been trying to find an original iPhone to mess around with.
 
I

iPh0neTy

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 13, 2012
77
0
Applejuiced said:
Before on the original iphone you would need to pick your minute, data and text plan in order to activate on a certain line.
Now for over a year or so they have changed it so people cannot use it to activate unlimited data plans on their AT&T lines any more.
So all it does is it activates normal like all other iphones. Stick an active AT&T sim and plug it to itunes and it will activate.
Click to expand...


I tried it about a year ago when I bought it and it said it could not be activated. that I needed to contact Apple.
 
I

iPh0neTy

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 13, 2012
77
0
Beeplance said:
Wow buying an original iPhone in mint condition in 2012 must be really expensive. Why don't you just leave it unactivated, at a higher value?:confused:
Click to expand...

I bought it a while ago from older guy who won it at work. He said he liked the phone he had at the time and didn't want to bother with activating it to his line so opened it to look at it and it sat in his closet ever since. He had no clue what it's worth cause I paid about what it was worth used at the time. I figured i'd keep it for a few years and see what it's worth. I think I will leave it unactivated though. It's killing me though. I want to start it up just to play with it and see iOS 1.0. I haven't ever seen an iPhone running the first iOS.

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zen said:
I'd leave it unactivated as a collector's item.
Click to expand...

You're probably right.

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Jordan921 said:
Just get a active SIM card and activate it. I've been trying to find an original iPhone to mess around with.
Click to expand...

The Original iPhone is becoming extinct. I bought this one after I saw an unused original iPod go for several thousand on eBay. It's too the point where you can't even find the original iPhone in working order.
 
zen

zen

macrumors 68000
Jun 26, 2003
1,713
472
iPh0neTy said:
You're probably right.
Click to expand...
Also, the iPhone 1 isn't such a great phone, compared with modern phones, and you can hardly run anything from the App store on it. If you intended to use it as your main phone, you'd just get frustrated eventually. Plus, you'll add wear and tear and the risk of damage.

The phone, mint and unactivated, might actually be worth a fair amount in say 20-30 years, too.
 
I

iPh0neTy

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 13, 2012
77
0
zen said:
Also, the iPhone 1 isn't such a great phone, compared with modern phones, and you can hardly run anything from the App store on it. If you intended to use it as your main phone, you'd just get frustrated eventually. Plus, you'll add wear and tear and the risk of damage.

The phone, mint and unactivated, might actually be worth a fair amount in say 20-30 years, too.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not planning on ever using it. I just hope the battery doesn't crap out. I researched and found out that lithum-ion batteries will store for years and years at 68 degrees with 1/3 charge in a dry place so that's how i'm keeping it. Maybe not exactly 68 all the time but pretty close since that's about the same temp as my house stays in the basement 365 days year.
 
kockgunner

kockgunner

macrumors 68000
Sep 24, 2007
1,565
22
Vancouver, Canada
iPh0neTy said:
I bought it a while ago from older guy who won it at work. He said he liked the phone he had at the time and didn't want to bother with activating it to his line so opened it to look at it and it sat in his closet ever since. He had no clue what it's worth cause I paid about what it was worth used at the time. I figured i'd keep it for a few years and see what it's worth. I think I will leave it unactivated though. It's killing me though. I want to start it up just to play with it and see iOS 1.0. I haven't ever seen an iPhone running the first iOS.

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You're probably right.

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The Original iPhone is becoming extinct. I bought this one after I saw an unused original iPod go for several thousand on eBay. It's too the point where you can't even find the original iPhone in working order.
Click to expand...

I would definitely leave it as a collectors item. It's not every day that a single gadget changes the entire market. I think items like the first iPod, original Macintoshes, and the iPhone will be worth a lot in the future. If you want to play with iOS 1.0, I would just get a beat up original iPhone or even first gen iPod touch.
 
F

Fant

macrumors regular
Jun 23, 2009
171
2
I believe when I activated my original iPhone it was thru iTunes. Either way I would make this the buyers problem and not touch it.
 
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