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Buying the iPhone from Apple store or att store?

K

kajinofe

macrumors newbie
Original poster
This is a very silly question but I just gotta ask...
I'm about to buy my first iPhone(and my first smart phone) this coming june/july.
When you buy your iPhone from an apple store or att store, do the sales rep take the iPhone inside their "lab" to "activate/prep" the phone like they used to do with other phones? It's been a while since I bought a phone (3 years) and I was just wondering if they still do that.
If you get where I'm going with this question, please go easy on me and answer the question if you know it 😉😱😀🙂
Thanks guys.
 
I bought mine at the Apple store and as I recall they hooked up to one of the macbooks on the sales floor and activated that way.

at least that's how I remember it 😱
 
Hmm. June/July.

Are you implying you are going to buy version 3 if it is released, or the current 3G iPhone?

If you want to unlock the current 3G version, AT&T is selling the phone without activation, I believe.

But with the upcoming v3 iPhone, it's not known if the stores will sell them not activated.

My thought is if AT&T is upgrading the hell out of the 3G network and spending a lot of $$$$ to do it, why would they not sell 2 year contracts to utilize the network and let people walk away without giving them at least $100 a month? This is referring to the v3 iPhone that is coming...
 
I bought the first iPhone on iDay, those days you activate it yourself. I loved it.

When the 3G came out, they changed that to activation in-store. I was disappointed, but didn't care all that much as I didn't see a compelling reason to upgrade to iPhone 3G.

I plan to upgrade this summer, and I'm betting they'll activate in-store which is disappointing, but what can you do.
 
ravenvii said:
I bought the first iPhone on iDay, those days you activate it yourself. I loved it.

When the 3G came out, they changed that to activation in-store. I was disappointed, but didn't care all that much as I didn't see a compelling reason to upgrade to iPhone 3G.

I plan to upgrade this summer, and I'm betting they'll activate in-store which is disappointing, but what can you do.
Click to expand...

The 3G WAS originally user activated at home. Launch day saw iTunes server crashes due to the number of people who tried to activate them. The crashes would have happened whether or not the stores or users themselves were online, but AT&T decided shortly afterwards to require activation at points of sale. I think this was in part, to avoid having people unlock the phone.
 
Strict Policies for New Releases

Because of AT&T's exclusivity with Apple you can expect them to hold the activation process at the store.

The apple or at&t rep will sit down with you at their station while setting up your account or upgrading if you're a current customer.

They just activate it not register.

The very first iPhone could easily be purchased and activated from home. But back then the phone was full price as to where now it's subsidized.

When iPhone 3G came out only the folks who stood in line for HOURS got one and some of them (towards the end of the line) stood there only to find out they sold out....then they resorted to purchasing them on eBay for an absurd amount of money!! (crazy folks) were buying them for up to 1400.00 USD.😱

AT&T stores let you order one and people were getting them in within 2 weeks. Probably the best approach if you want one right away and don't have time to stand in line.
 
i would say go to apple to buy it. To me they are more reliable and faster at getting it done....and the store looks cool!
 
I thank you very much for the feed backs. I was just curious as to whether they take the opened (brand new) iPhone to their small lab or not. I should've elaborated on this more. I'm just a little paranoid about the reps taking the new phone to their room, cause I heard some horror stories about them switching the phones with refurbished ones once they take it inside...😕😱
 
kajinofe said:
I thank you very much for the feed backs. I was just curious as to whether they take the opened (brand new) iPhone to their small lab or not. I should've elaborated on this more. I'm just a little paranoid about the reps taking the new phone to their room, cause I heard some horror stories about them switching the phones with refurbished ones once they take it inside...😕😱
Click to expand...
If you are worried about that just hang onto the box the IMEI is on the box and the phone. So if they don't match then you will see any funny activity based it the back room (but this just does not happen in an Apple or AT&T Corporate retail store).

Dave
 
kajinofe said:
I thank you very much for the feed backs. I was just curious as to whether they take the opened (brand new) iPhone to their small lab or not. I should've elaborated on this more. I'm just a little paranoid about the reps taking the new phone to their room, cause I heard some horror stories about them switching the phones with refurbished ones once they take it inside...😕😱
Click to expand...

Not exactly sure why they would be taking it in the back? They'll go in the back to fetch your new iPhone and they should be opening the box/plastic right in front of you...from there the phone is visible during the entire process...this is how they operate at the att store and not sure why apple would do it any different
 
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