iPhone 13 iPhone as gift/activating

[Le Big Mac]

Want to give new iPhone as gift to child. Child is on our family plan with TMobile. When I go to check out at Apple store it asks for phone number, and will sent confirmation text to child's phone. So much for a surprise. If I put in my number then the phone will register to my phone line/number, which isn't what I want.

Any way around this? (Other than nabbing child's phone and getting verification code)

 

[VineRider]

If you are not putting the phone on a TMobile payment plan, you could buy the phone unlocked from Apple and then activate it when you are ready to give the phone to the child.

 

[ignatius345]

If you are not putting the phone on a TMobile payment plan, you could buy the phone unlocked from Apple and then activate it when you are ready to give the phone to the child.

Yeah, I think this is the only way to do this. If the child doesn't have an Apple ID yet, you could get a jump on things by setting one up and connecting it to your Apple ID via Family Sharing. Then when you set the iPhone up you sign into that Apple ID on it, which will make the Christmas morning setup that much faster.

 

[Le Big Mac]

If you are not putting the phone on a TMobile payment plan, you could buy the phone unlocked from Apple and then activate it when you are ready to give the phone to the child.

This is what Apple suggested . . . though that's +$30 for unlocked and likely means no T-Mobile rebate on offer now for trade ins. Child already set up with Apple (this is a replacement phone).

Maybe this is somehow the rare case, but seems like I wouldn't be the only one in this predicament and that Apple would have a way to have this "just work."

 

[now i see it]

The “Just work” marketing BS hasn’t been relevant ever. It’s never been true and was only marketing gibberish. Apple products always have been a wrestling match to some degree.

Seems to me - the only way to make the iPhone a functioning surprise at Xmas will be to cowboy up and buy the unlocked version for $30 more and sell the old one somewhere else.

How fun would it be to set up the new surprise iPhone already activated to ring an alarm inside a Xmas stocking or wrapped xmas box - or play a Christmas tune?
That would be classic and you’d both remember it forever.