Any way around activating in store?

[NoahPoCh]

Do you have to activate your phone in store?

 

[Tallest Skil]

Yep. Buy a first-gen on eBay.

 

[NoahPoCh]

Better yet, do I have to sign a two-year agreement in-store?

 

[mcdj]

If it's a nice day, they may agree to let you do just outside the store.

 

[Bambeezer]

Does the in store activation really do anything that using iTunes at home won't do? When my GF bought her iphone on first day, they sent her home to activate because of server issues. By that point they already had her money and contract.

 

[Geckotek]

Does the in store activation really do anything that using iTunes at home won't do? When my GF bought her iphone on first day, they sent her home to activate because of server issues. By that point they already had her money and contract.

Yes, it assures AT&T that you have actually activated it.

There were news stories that mentioned you would be able to pay an additional fee for unlocked iPhones here in the US, but I think they said it would be at a later date....and that date doesn't seem to have arrived yet.

Of course there are always the unlocked iPhones from other markets like Hong Kong.

 

[Interstella5555]

If it's a nice day, they may agree to let you do just outside the store.

Man you're lucky...my Apple guy took me to his "private corner" behind the 3G display in the Seattle store...actually, I don't want to talk about it any more.

 

[tchait]

I opened my iPhone 3G at home

My old SIM card wouldn't work with the new iPhone, so the ATT store let me take the iPhone 3G home unopened. I didn't have a phone for 20 minutes, but I didn't mind.

 

[ubersalad]

Man you're lucky...my Apple guy took me to his "private corner" behind the 3G display in the Seattle store...actually, I don't want to talk about it any more.

Were you violated by the u-village employee? haha...

 

[Interstella5555]

Were you violated by the u-village employee? haha...

(laughs) I thought it was a little odd, especially with the trainee watching.

 

[Geckotek]

My old SIM card wouldn't work with the new iPhone, so the ATT store let me take the iPhone 3G home unopened. I didn't have a phone for 20 minutes, but I didn't mind.

Sounds like they didn't know what they were doing. They are supposed to activate the new SIM and deactivate your old one.

 

[Interstella5555]

Sounds like they didn't know what they were doing. They are supposed to activate the new SIM and deactivate your old one.

I'm not sure that's true, they didn't do anything to my SIM from my 2G; and told me both phones would be active for several hours after the upgrade.

 

[Geckotek]

I'm not sure that's true, they didn't do anything to my SIM from my 2G; and told me both phones would be active for several hours after the upgrade.

I'm pretty sure that by default when they activate one it deactivates the other...but yes...there is some lag time between.

 

[doodads]

My old SIM card wouldn't work with the new iPhone, so the ATT store let me take the iPhone 3G home unopened. I didn't have a phone for 20 minutes, but I didn't mind.

If the phone was unopened, how did you know that your old SIM card wouldn't work???