Can you buy in store (5s) and activate at home?

[wlow3]

I'm going to be traveling when the iPhone 5s is released. I may be able to pickup one on the road but I'd prefer not to have it activated in store and have AT&T switch off my 4s cell number while I'm still traveling.

If I order it online (which is not an option since I won't be home to receive it at home), the iPhone does not get activated till I plug it into my iMac, so can I do the same with an in store purchase?

 

[AlPlPlLE]

I'm going to be traveling when the iPhone 5s is released. I may be able to pickup one on the road but I'd prefer not to have it activated in store and have AT&T switch off my 4s cell number while I'm still traveling.

If I order it online (which is not an option since I won't be home to receive it at home), the iPhone does not get activated till I plug it into my iMac, so can I do the same with an in store purchase?

If you are buying an unlocked iPhone 5S then no, it will not be activated.

If you are buying an iPhone 5S with an upgrade on the account, the phone will be activated once the account information is entered with the phone they scan at time of purchase. So no, the phone has to be activated in store. It activates and has service to the new phone once you power it on in the store so your worry of AT&T switching off your cell number isn't going to happen. The Apple employee will be activating the number to the new phone while you are there.

 

[Irock619]

I'm going to be traveling when the iPhone 5s is released. I may be able to pickup one on the road but I'd prefer not to have it activated in store and have AT&T switch off my 4s cell number while I'm still traveling.

If I order it online (which is not an option since I won't be home to receive it at home), the iPhone does not get activated till I plug it into my iMac, so can I do the same with an in store purchase?

I was wondering the same thing. Maybe somebody has some insight on this.

 

[rockyroad55]

In store, no. Online, yes.

 

[wlow3]

Actually, that was my concern. I'd prefer to continue using my 4s till I get back home and do an initial sync of my backed up 4s to the new 5s.

My haste in picking one up is because I believe the rumors that supplies are constrained and that if I wait a week, it may be weeks before supply catches up to demand.

I could back up to iCloud beforehand, and that might work for me, but I was just wondering if the store could just let me do it as if I'd ordered online.

 

[AlPlPlLE]

In store, no. Online, yes.

Wrong

----------

Actually, that was my concern. I'd prefer to continue using my 4s till I get back home and do an initial sync of my backed up 4s to the new 5s.

My haste in picking one up is because I believe the rumors that supplies are constrained and that if I wait a week, it may be weeks before supply catches up to demand.

I could back up to iCloud beforehand, and that might work for me, but I was just wondering if the store could just let me do it as if I'd ordered online.

If you can create an iCloud backup then go that route so you can restore in the store on their wifi. If you would prefer or have to restore from your computer, then just have them activate the new phone through their regular process like I described and just call a local AT&T from the Apple store and have them reactivate your number back to the 4S thus giving you service on the phone you have your info on until you can restore the 5S the way you want. Just ask the employee helping you to use their phone.

They will not allow you to buy the phone as if you did "in store pickup". They can't ring it up that way. Each way to buy the phone from Apple whether it be in store purchase from using an upgrade or buying an unlocked phone, and online orders for in store pickups scan in their easypays a different way when you go in to get the phone.

 

[rockyroad55]

Wrong

----------

k

 

[trek360]

During the 4s launch I bought two phones at the AT&T store. They opened one phone and the activation took forever due to systems issues. They let me take the second phone and I activated it at home later.

I can't remember if they opened the package or not but I left with one phone not activated. All you can do is ask and see what they say.