iPhone 5 to 5s, move data before activation?

[Iphone4sinwhite]

When moving from a Sprint iphone 5 to a 5s that will be activated on t-mobile, is it possible to turn on the 5s, login in with Apple ID, and load iCloud data on the phone (photos, text messages, contacts, notes, email, etc.) before inserting the t-mobile sim and activating the device? If the iPhone 5 is used for another day or two before the iPhone 5s is activated, will iCloud update/duplicate the data (text messages, etc.) on both devices?

 

[scaredpoet]

Nope,the phone must be activated before the restore happens.

You can do your backup of the old device right before activating the new, and your content should be up to date when it carries over.

 

[DewChugr]

FYI, you could if you were on AT&T and staying there.

 

[Iphone4sinwhite]

Nope,the phone must be activated before the restore happens.

You can do your backup of the old device right before activating the new, and your content should be up to date when it carries over.

Is this due to the different carrers? I thought the phone would act almost like an iPod touch until a sim was entered and the number is switched over.

 

[DewChugr]

Is this due to the different carrers? I thought the phone would act almost like an iPod touch until a sim was entered and the number is switched over.

I don't know how it works with carriers other than AT&T. I backed up the old phone, took the new phone out of the box and restored it, then dialed *826 to activate it. That's it.

 

[scaredpoet]

Is this due to the different carrers? I thought the phone would act almost like an iPod touch until a sim was entered and the number is switched over.

If it's fresh out of the box, the first thing the phone is going to try to do is activate. If it's unlocked, then perhaps you can get it restored by plugging into iTunes first.