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You must take it into AT&T if you purchased from Apple.com or call Apple per the onscreen instructions. I did this with an AT&T rep on the phone before powering up the device.

Sorry folks. Apple's number might be able to help.
 
You must take it into AT&T if you purchased from Apple.com or call Apple per the onscreen instructions. I did this with an AT&T rep on the phone before powering up the device.

Sorry folks. Apple's number might be able to help.

no you don't...I bought mine from apple called the number from google voice (don't have a lan line), gave them the IMEI and SIM number and everything activated just fine.
 
I don't get why people think there is so much conflicting information. There is but all wrong.....

1) yes the sim comes set up for the line you upgraded.
2) AT&T can reformat the sim with the SIM card number and attach it to the imei of that phone.
3) so on power up the phone connected to the network and sees it needs to update........

The steps are

1) call AT&T with the imei and SIM card number
2) press 2 for upgrading but switch the lines
3) tell rep and they are care of it....

here is my backup!
http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB411462#fbid=H8VMnfGIoLl

YOU DO NOT NEED A NEW SIM!!! and this is from a order from apple.com. Just a FYI. and I still do not need a new SIM...

This is for AT&T.. Figured I would add that. Same goes for Verizon though....

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Please read my last post...l. Why do yo u need a nano sim...

You are completely correct.

I will just note that they don't even need to reformat the SIM. They just need to go into your account and attach that SIM number to the line on which you want to use it, then activate that SIM.

Easy peasy. :)
 
no you don't...I bought mine from apple called the number from google voice (don't have a lan line), gave them the IMEI and SIM number and everything activated just fine.

I think the people who mess this up will be the ones who have powered up their phones already. Or they'll have gotten a rep on the phone who doesn't understand the process.

I recommend not touching the power button until talking to a rep to do the SIM number switch.

And hanging up if you get a rep that sounds at all confused by what you're asking them to do. :D
 
no you don't...I bought mine from apple called the number from google voice (don't have a lan line), gave them the IMEI and SIM number and everything activated just fine.

Just so I am on the right page, you bought your iPhone from Apple under a different phone number on your account and when you received it you called AT&T. You then gave AT&T the IMEI and SIM number from the phone and had it switched to your phone number. Then you activated it and the original number that it was attached to was untouched and worked fine. Is this correct?

Reason I ask, is if I accidentally deactivate my wife's phone while she is at work, I will never hear the end of it. haha
 
You are completely correct.

I will just note that they don't even need to reformat the SIM. They just need to go into your account and attach that SIM number to the line on which you want to use it, then activate that SIM.

Easy peasy. :)

Well spoken. figured it was something like that :p
 
Thru your computer? Can I run a google voice call through my macbook pro?

yes that's how i did it, had to use google chrome and did it through my gmail google talk.

Just so I am on the right page, you bought your iPhone from Apple under a different phone number on your account and when you received it you called AT&T. You then gave AT&T the IMEI and SIM number from the phone and had it switched to your phone number. Then you activated it and the original number that it was attached to was untouched and worked fine. Is this correct?

Reason I ask, is if I accidentally deactivate my wife's phone while she is at work, I will never hear the end of it. haha

yup that's what I did, didn't turn the phone on just took sim out right away to get numbers.

when you do turn it on you might get scared cause it will show the other number when it says is this the number you used to purchase the phone and you just say yes and it will activate with the one you called in for.
 
Well spoken. figured it was something like that :p

Hehehe.

I just had a momentary jolt of fear because I realized that to give this 4s to my kid, I need a SIM. He's got a 3GS right now, so his SIM won't fit.

Then, I remembered that I asked for an extra when I last shopped at the AT&T store. Crisis averted.
 
yes that's how i did it, had to use google chrome and did it through my gmail google talk.



yup that's what I did, didn't turn the phone on just took sim out right away to get numbers.

when you do turn it on you might get scared cause it will show the other number when it says is this the number you used to purchase the phone and you just say yes and it will activate with the one you called in for.

the IMEI and other numbers are on the box ;)
 
yes that's how i did it, had to use google chrome and did it through my gmail google talk.



yup that's what I did, didn't turn the phone on just took sim out right away to get numbers.

when you do turn it on you might get scared cause it will show the other number when it says is this the number you used to purchase the phone and you just say yes and it will activate with the one you called in for.

Can you help me with using google voice? I just downloaded and started chrome and i'm logged in google. Can't make a successful call.
 
no you don't...I bought mine from apple called the number from google voice (don't have a lan line), gave them the IMEI and SIM number and everything activated just fine.

So you did this with an iPhone 5 today? Just looking for confirmation that someone has done this with an iPhone 5 upgrade swap.
 
yes, but the sim card number isn't

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yes my iphone 5 is up and working on the swapped line.

Awesome. Thanks. So you had to open the box and pop the sim out? I always thought the number was on the box too, but never looked.
 
Awesome. Thanks. So you had to open the box and pop the sim out? I always thought the number was on the box too, but never looked.

yes I opened the box took the phone out and took the sim card out and didn't turn it on. got imei number from box.

call the number, press 2, tell them the numbers you want to swap, give them the info, wait for confirmation, turn on device and activate.
 
yes, but the sim card number isn't

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yes my iphone 5 is up and working on the swapped line.

Is the SIM number the ICCID number? That number was on the 4S box.

It didn't interfere with the line who's upgrade you used at all
Did it?
 
Hehehe.

I just had a momentary jolt of fear because I realized that to give this 4s to my kid, I need a SIM. He's got a 3GS right now, so his SIM won't fit.

Then, I remembered that I asked for an extra when I last shopped at the AT&T store. Crisis averted.

There you go. I use a sim adapter for my 3gs which has my 4s sim in it right now. But since yours is for longer use that makes sense to have a new one.
 
I'm not sure if that's the same as the sim number didn't check and don't feel like it right now.

no it didn't interfere with that number at all.

Thanks for the info. There has been do much conflicting into because I think previous iPhones may have needed a new sim. Whether that is true or not is irrelevant. It's good to know that the new iPhone bought from Apple can be done by phone.
 
My experience

Well...got my phone delivered.....opened the box...called ATT....spoke with with support...told them I was doing a upgrade swap...she said no problem...she did the swap...now...here is what happened....she told me to turn on the phone...I turned on the phone and started the process....got to the screen with the phone number....it was my wife's phone number....her line is where I got the upgrade....told the rep...she had me restart the phone...did it again....got to the same screen....still showed my wife's number....so...now I have to go to an ATT store and get a new sim....thought it was going smoothly but hit that snag...on my way to the ATT store...hoping there is no long lines....
 
Question for anyone who did this. Called at&t and they claim they did the swap. When I go to the activation screen, however, it's showing the original phone number I used to purchase the phone. Is this true and will it activate on the number I swapped to anyway? I haven't proceeded with activation yet.
 
Well...got my phone delivered.....opened the box...called ATT....spoke with with support...told them I was doing a upgrade swap...she said no problem...she did the swap...now...here is what happened....she told me to turn on the phone...I turned on the phone and started the process....got to the screen with the phone number....it was my wife's phone number....her line is where I got the upgrade....told the rep...she had me restart the phone...did it again....got to the same screen....still showed my wife's number....so...now I have to go to an ATT store and get a new sim....thought it was going smoothly but hit that snag...on my way to the ATT store...hoping there is no long lines....

Should've read the thread.

An earlier post said just activate it even if it shows the original number. It'll still activate the line you want to activate.
 
Just to let you guys know, I purchased my iPhone from Apple. I ordered using my wife's number but wanted to use it on mine. I called AT&T customer service. I gave them the SIM card number and IMEI number and she switched it off of my wife's number to my number. I turned the phone on.

HERE IS THE SCARY PART:

It will say the old phone number, but if you read it says this is for ordering info from Apple only. Hit next, hold your breath. Go thru the prompts and then I went into the Phone section and my number appeared. Called my wife and she said her phone still works. Good to go.

Just in case people were wondering, that is all you have to do.
 
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