I must be one of the lucky ones -- upgrading from a 16GB 3G to a 32GB 3GS, and the process was totally smooth and quick. No activation issues - didn't even need to restart the 3GS. While I was still on the line with ATT's automated telephone activation system, the "phone activated" message appears on the 3GS's screen. Completely painless.
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iPhone 3G S Customers Reporting Activation Delays
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SIM Swap Activation
Like some others, I swapped my 3G sim card with my 3GS sim, and it actvated immediately.
I did this before with the original iPhone when activating the 3G, and it worked too.
Like someone mentioned, I believe this issue is for those activating it without a 3G sim to swap.
Like some others, I swapped my 3G sim card with my 3GS sim, and it actvated immediately.
I did this before with the original iPhone when activating the 3G, and it worked too.
Like someone mentioned, I believe this issue is for those activating it without a 3G sim to swap.
I started trying to activate mine around 5:30 Central. Got the "this may take a while" message, figured it'd be done in a lil bit. Took it to the ATT store after 3 hrs of no-go and after multiple SIM card pulls/reinserts, power cycles, etc. The sales rep pulls up my account and...the 3GS is nowhere to be seen, it still had my old first gen iPhone on it even though I had already blanked that one back to factory. Maybe I screwed up and didn't do something, but it took him literally three seconds to activate it and I was out the door.
As someone else mentioned a few pages back, this was at the ATT store at Barton Creek Mall in Austin, TX and the staff there was supremely patient and helpful, even with a bunch of screaming kids running around and confused older folks. Props to them.
As someone else mentioned a few pages back, this was at the ATT store at Barton Creek Mall in Austin, TX and the staff there was supremely patient and helpful, even with a bunch of screaming kids running around and confused older folks. Props to them.
Figures... AT&T cannot step-up and go above & beyond for its customers.
Um, 99% of these problems are user error. People post "damn activation doesn't work!!!", then 20 minutes later "uh, I shut phone down and then turned it back on and it was activated." That is not only an AT&T issue.
Sure activations may be a little slower today, but what is a cellular carrier to do? Build out their systems to handle the average daily activations of 50k phone over 364 days or the 500k activations in one day? If activation time is your biggest problem, then wait a day or two to buy the phone.
America is the country of whiners.
Went into my local At&t store today to pick up a few iphones. I got 3 of the 4 models, all were in stock at 10am but very low in the black models. Got mine sold and running (3g upgrade, no reserve or anything) in about 10 minutes flat.
Then got 2 more on a business account. This took much longer, as it was 11:30 and the west cost went online. Didn't get out until about 12:15, but all in all I'd say not to shabby. The very nice rep at the store activated 2 of the 3, leaving the third wrapped for a present. I got it back and activated right away without so much as a second delay.
On my end, not too shabby.
Then got 2 more on a business account. This took much longer, as it was 11:30 and the west cost went online. Didn't get out until about 12:15, but all in all I'd say not to shabby. The very nice rep at the store activated 2 of the 3, leaving the third wrapped for a present. I got it back and activated right away without so much as a second delay.
On my end, not too shabby.
AT&T Rep Helped Me
I too had the magical words... "Waiting for Activation... This may take a while." appear on my screen. What?! I ordered this phone the day Apple made it available!!
I called Apple and the kid I spoke with was really no help at all. He advised me to wait it out. I am not that patient, so I called AT&T and spoke with a rep over there.
She did some things on her end, but the only thing that finally got it to work after she provisioned the lines was for me to perform a reset on the phone. It came up and activated!!
Maybe some service reps are more helpful than others.
I too had the magical words... "Waiting for Activation... This may take a while." appear on my screen. What?! I ordered this phone the day Apple made it available!!
I called Apple and the kid I spoke with was really no help at all. He advised me to wait it out. I am not that patient, so I called AT&T and spoke with a rep over there.
She did some things on her end, but the only thing that finally got it to work after she provisioned the lines was for me to perform a reset on the phone. It came up and activated!!
Maybe some service reps are more helpful than others.
Wait! your getting "great" 3G service?!! when did AT&T start doing this?!!!
LOL..
well thats all relative. To me, coming from Edge... its great.
WOW I must give you props!! I read the whole 48 hours thing and my wife got pissed and then I saw your post and tried it and BOOM! Activated like that! Thanks so much you saved me from sitting around for 42 hours!!
Restarting phone seems to work
Okay, after being patient I restarted my iPhone. Didn't work. Waited another hour. Restarted again and it came up saying it was activated. I don't think it's the restart that magically activates the phone. I think that it's getting activated but the iphone isn't checking to SEE if it's activated until it's forced to by a restart or a sim re-insert. I dunno though, just a thought.
Okay, after being patient I restarted my iPhone. Didn't work. Waited another hour. Restarted again and it came up saying it was activated. I don't think it's the restart that magically activates the phone. I think that it's getting activated but the iphone isn't checking to SEE if it's activated until it's forced to by a restart or a sim re-insert. I dunno though, just a thought.
no problems over here.. activated mine around 11ish.. was on the line with att rep to change my number cuz they assigned me the wrong area code.. very quick, painless and friendly.. overall the best customer service i've ever received from a mobile carrier
iPhone 3GS one of the best purchases i've ever made.. this mobile OS has really sold me and i'm seriously considering converting all of my computer systems to apple in the future.. i've been a pc head my whole life, but maybe i've been shown the light now.. next up mac book pro and then an imac! =)
iPhone 3GS one of the best purchases i've ever made.. this mobile OS has really sold me and i'm seriously considering converting all of my computer systems to apple in the future.. i've been a pc head my whole life, but maybe i've been shown the light now.. next up mac book pro and then an imac! =)
If your phone is just hanging up and says "Searching" try restarting it.
I know of several people who waited over 1/2 hr, then did this. When the phone restarted it displayed a message that said "iPhone is activated".
Its worth a try, I think some phones are just timing out or something.
I know of several people who waited over 1/2 hr, then did this. When the phone restarted it displayed a message that said "iPhone is activated".
Its worth a try, I think some phones are just timing out or something.
Upgrade Link from AT&T...uhh who knew?
I ordered mine from AT&T as an upgrade to an existing Gen 1 I phone for home delivery via Fed EX. Should just plug and play....Right?
Anyway, I was suffering from the same activation woes that seemed to plague many on these forums. I called AT&T and Apple and both told me I just needed to be patient. Nothing I did worked, Sim Reset, Air plane mode, off and on... Nothing. After many hours of trying to be patient I finally decided to visit a local AT&T store. I took the entire contents of the package as delivered up to the store and spoke with a very helpful AT&T associate (I know that sounds like an Oxymoron but in my case it was true). As she was trying to help me trouble shoot she started to discuss replacing the SIM and then discovered I was still configured in the system on the old Edge network. Then it dawned on her. She asked if I had activated the phone SIM by going to the AT&T activation site that was sent with my phone? Ahh yeah you have everything that was delivered with my phone... please show me where it told me I needed to go to an AT&T Web site. Anyway with a few clicks on a web site that I apparently had access to do from the comfort of my house I was up and running. I was like, It would have been real nice if the phone support people could have informed me of their own upgrade web site. It was never going to work until I hit that site.
Anyway, I walked out of there a lot happier and I also picked up another 3GS phone for my wife while I was at it..... Hey maybe that was their plan all along to get me back in the store!!! Oh now I feel used. lol
(Sorry - Activated the phone SIM should probably read: Upgraded the Phone SIM. The site was specifically for upgrading from 1 SIM to the New one on a current AT&T phone line. I think that may be why a lot of folks were able to just activate by switching to their old SIM from an Iphone 3G. I don't think the same switch out would work with a Gen 1 Phone Edge SIM card.)
I ordered mine from AT&T as an upgrade to an existing Gen 1 I phone for home delivery via Fed EX. Should just plug and play....Right?
Anyway, I was suffering from the same activation woes that seemed to plague many on these forums. I called AT&T and Apple and both told me I just needed to be patient. Nothing I did worked, Sim Reset, Air plane mode, off and on... Nothing. After many hours of trying to be patient I finally decided to visit a local AT&T store. I took the entire contents of the package as delivered up to the store and spoke with a very helpful AT&T associate (I know that sounds like an Oxymoron but in my case it was true). As she was trying to help me trouble shoot she started to discuss replacing the SIM and then discovered I was still configured in the system on the old Edge network. Then it dawned on her. She asked if I had activated the phone SIM by going to the AT&T activation site that was sent with my phone? Ahh yeah you have everything that was delivered with my phone... please show me where it told me I needed to go to an AT&T Web site. Anyway with a few clicks on a web site that I apparently had access to do from the comfort of my house I was up and running. I was like, It would have been real nice if the phone support people could have informed me of their own upgrade web site. It was never going to work until I hit that site.
Anyway, I walked out of there a lot happier and I also picked up another 3GS phone for my wife while I was at it..... Hey maybe that was their plan all along to get me back in the store!!! Oh now I feel used. lol
(Sorry - Activated the phone SIM should probably read: Upgraded the Phone SIM. The site was specifically for upgrading from 1 SIM to the New one on a current AT&T phone line. I think that may be why a lot of folks were able to just activate by switching to their old SIM from an Iphone 3G. I don't think the same switch out would work with a Gen 1 Phone Edge SIM card.)
What I tried...
Well, after about 3 hours of checking every so often between breaks at work, I finally read the instruction book that came with the phone...
At first, I plugged the phone up to my mac and got everything syncing over, but no activation. I removed the sim and put it back in-no go. Got a message saying it may take a bit... Even called ATT/Apple support and the guy said the servers were getting hung up with so many activations.
Well, read the little book saying to call ATT or go online to activate. I called, punched in my numbers, it said to turn off for 5 minutes then turn back on...I did this and it worked within seconds...
I'm like many of us-ready to get the darn thing going with excitement running through me, but taking time to read the included booklet (it was on the front page) worked like a charm! If you guys haven't done so, try it!
Well, after about 3 hours of checking every so often between breaks at work, I finally read the instruction book that came with the phone...
At first, I plugged the phone up to my mac and got everything syncing over, but no activation. I removed the sim and put it back in-no go. Got a message saying it may take a bit... Even called ATT/Apple support and the guy said the servers were getting hung up with so many activations.
Well, read the little book saying to call ATT or go online to activate. I called, punched in my numbers, it said to turn off for 5 minutes then turn back on...I did this and it worked within seconds...
I'm like many of us-ready to get the darn thing going with excitement running through me, but taking time to read the included booklet (it was on the front page) worked like a charm! If you guys haven't done so, try it!
Activated!
I was upgrading form a 2G to the 3GS. Took about five minutes for the Phone Activated message to appear. Bought the phone from Apple and completed the activation in iTunes. No problem. Was worried at first, but I did a couple of things and when I got back it was working.
Took awhile to restore from the backup and add restore my media, but been working great so far.
I was upgrading form a 2G to the 3GS. Took about five minutes for the Phone Activated message to appear. Bought the phone from Apple and completed the activation in iTunes. No problem. Was worried at first, but I did a couple of things and when I got back it was working.
Took awhile to restore from the backup and add restore my media, but been working great so far.
Sounds like what I had going on. There was a little instruction book that came packaged with the phone that directs to a website, but for some reason that website wouldn't recognize my account/phone as in need of an upgrade. Shrug. All that matters is in the end it worked itself out.
By the looks of this part of the iPhone problem is Apple fault. ATT is getting slammed by activating both old and new people. Most of the time when you get a new phone all they do is a sim swap and they are done. Apple should make that possible it would reduce the numbers they have to deal with to just a small fraction.
In the end I blame apple for not following the sim design of ATT standard phones.
In the end I blame apple for not following the sim design of ATT standard phones.
Ok ... umm no ... what i said is the serial # is attached to the phone # ... not the sim ... the sim is independent ... Yeah I know the sim doesn't matter as when I bought by first 3g contract free... This one though I bought with a contract and apple apparently sends the phone serial # attached to a phone # ... NOT SIM ... serial # attached to phone # ... Is what I said therefore if you have a phone come to you that does not have your number and apparently is pre something or anothered by apple then it will not work ... No matter what sim ...
Hmmm Sim Cards
Ok thats odd, I been waiting for my iphone to activate so I said F it, I'm putting my old sim card from my old phone in. WALA it worked 0_o. SO why can't I use my new sim card?
So does this mean that my old sim I put in my iphone will be fine or will it dis activate 24/72hrs?
Ok thats odd, I been waiting for my iphone to activate so I said F it, I'm putting my old sim card from my old phone in. WALA it worked 0_o. SO why can't I use my new sim card?
So does this mean that my old sim I put in my iphone will be fine or will it dis activate 24/72hrs?
And you could write comments that make sense....maybe (I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt).