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My iPhone isnt activating? Anyone else have this problem?
- Thread starter DeuceDeuce
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If you own a 3 G can you just switch the SIM card instaed of waiting for this activation nonsense?
I bought the new 3G S , but owned a 3 G. Same activation problem. Swapped the SIM, PERFECT. Does that affect functionality at all?
I did the same thing. But today, my old sim stopped working. I put in the new sim and it is now working.
Spoke to an applecare rep and this is what he said in relation to my situation, and those similar to mine:
If you received your phone through the pre-order process, and asked apple to port a number over (or you upgraded someone elses line on a family plan only to use it yourself in the end), and never engaged in the activation process with the phone right out of the box, then you will have problems activating the handset. Here is why - during pre-order you feed the apple system specific data and ultimately apple sends you a hand set (represented by the IMEI # and serial #) preinstalled with a sim card (represented by the ICCID #). So, if you never use the activation process with the "pre-set data", which is stored on apple activation servers, then the activation process goes crazy and gets confused when you try to activate hardware that does have its corresponding ICCID#/sim card. Basically, you have to go through the activation process through itunes with whatever apple gives you out of the box. THEN, and only then should you swap sims, get a new sim (new cell phone #), if that is your overall intention.
The applecare representative stated that these problems are somewhat mounting at apple, and that the engineers that take care of the activation process data servers are seeking to find a resolution to this problem. I was told to call back monday.
Thanks all.
If you received your phone through the pre-order process, and asked apple to port a number over (or you upgraded someone elses line on a family plan only to use it yourself in the end), and never engaged in the activation process with the phone right out of the box, then you will have problems activating the handset. Here is why - during pre-order you feed the apple system specific data and ultimately apple sends you a hand set (represented by the IMEI # and serial #) preinstalled with a sim card (represented by the ICCID #). So, if you never use the activation process with the "pre-set data", which is stored on apple activation servers, then the activation process goes crazy and gets confused when you try to activate hardware that does have its corresponding ICCID#/sim card. Basically, you have to go through the activation process through itunes with whatever apple gives you out of the box. THEN, and only then should you swap sims, get a new sim (new cell phone #), if that is your overall intention.
The applecare representative stated that these problems are somewhat mounting at apple, and that the engineers that take care of the activation process data servers are seeking to find a resolution to this problem. I was told to call back monday.
Thanks all.
Just a quick tip on those that tried to activate with a new SIM and then traded from an old phone when activation was delayed.
Your old SIM will go dead once the activation actually goes through and there is nothing (at least thats what they told me on the phone) that can be done to get it working should you say, forget the new one at home when your out of town, which was my luck.
Slipping your new SIM in will make everything fine if its within 5 days. I just have to wait a day to get back home to get the new SIM I accidentally left
Guess thats what I get for not waiting, but enjoyed the hours I had out of it. Had I not switched I would have had to wait like 24 hours for it to activate.
Your old SIM will go dead once the activation actually goes through and there is nothing (at least thats what they told me on the phone) that can be done to get it working should you say, forget the new one at home when your out of town, which was my luck.
Slipping your new SIM in will make everything fine if its within 5 days. I just have to wait a day to get back home to get the new SIM I accidentally left
Guess thats what I get for not waiting, but enjoyed the hours I had out of it. Had I not switched I would have had to wait like 24 hours for it to activate.
If you own a 3 G can you just switch the SIM card instaed of waiting for this activation nonsense?
I bought the new 3G S , but owned a 3 G. Same activation problem. Swapped the SIM, PERFECT. Does that affect functionality at all?
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Your iPhone SIM would be deactivated once the new SIM becomes activated. Nothing else.
The guy at AT&T who told me to swap SIMs told me it wouldn't be deactivated - I didn't believe him, so I asked him three different ways if the activation would disable my old SIM in the new phone. I suspect he somehow disabled the activation or marked the phone as active with the old SIM - it's been well over 30 hours since I swapped SIMs at AT&T's suggestion, and the old SIM/new phone combination still works. (Still, I'm keeping the old phone/new SIM around just in case, at least for a few days).
If you never activate your new SIM then you're fine. You could easily just swap. But it's easier to just switch devices. The device isn't actually activated - it's the SIM card in at&t's records.
What if I give the old phone/new sim to a family member, and they activate it on their own account? Will that confuse AT&T (keeping in mind I originally tried to activate the new sim/new phone, but after 5 hours of no activation ended up swapping SIMs).
UPDATE:
Well, that was annoying. Just looked at the new phone, and saw I had no service. Swapped SIMs back, and all is well. I guess it took them 33 hours to send out the activation signal.
UPDATE UPDATE:
Grrr. Voicemail just says (on screen): "cannot connect to voicemail" with a "Call AT&T" button. Of course, AT&T is closed.
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE:
Fixed it by dialing my own number from the iPhone; it went to voicemail (w/o making me type a password). Then I hanged up. A few seconds later I got the pop-up for the voicemail password, and now it works.
I had that same exact voicemail problem last night! I actually called AT&T and they didn't help me. I figured out on my own that calling my own number would fix it.
Okay, this particular rep is full of it. In our family, we bought 3 new 3g S iphones, two upgrades from 2g on a family plan and one switching from a non-iphone to an iphone, not on a family plan. All phones pre-ordered thru apple.com. We each activated the very phone purchased for THAT LINE on itunes as instructed. I even matched the tracking numbers to be sure, because I wanted everything to go smoothly.
Well, it didn't. The single non-family phone went smoothly, but the other two took repeated calls to ATT to match the correct sim and IMEI numbers, which were not showing up in the system. Also, our data plans had disappeared. 48 hours was never going to do the trick, period. Luckily, the right ATT rep got it sorted out.
I repeat, we were all using the very exact phones that were purchased for each of our numbers on apple.com
Apple and ATT flat out need to figure this activating thing out once and for all.
I have read that a lot of people have had to call into ATT to confirm and update their IMEI and ICCID numbers. I can't begin to imagine why that information was not fed into the activation system upon placing your order. However, I feel that there is a difference between information that is absent from the activation system (i.e. your case) and when the activation system has information that it expects to confirm, but experiences different data (i.e. my situation). In the former case, you were able to call ATT and update your information and somehow got it activated (I presume). In the latter case, it seems as if apple would need to inject new information for my ICCID # into the activation system (which apple says its looking into via their engineers). It looks like the activation process is fixed on specific information that it has stored on it, and disallows anyone activating a phone from modify any information (i.e. inputting the IMEI and ICCID #'s. I would expect that if we were able to update this information on our own, it would save apple and ATT a lot of hassle, since confirming your own information through the activation process (i.e on the itunes screen) is the same as calling in having ATT update your info.
I want to add that upon speaking to ATT, they tell me that my phone doesn't even show up on their network. I want to believe that when you called to update your IMEI and ICCID numbers with ATT, they were able to register (recognize) your phones on their network. Don't know what the big difference is, but there is one - I'd just like them to resolve it quickly.
In case you haven't been able to activate those two other lines, sorry for any misconceptions.
still not activated - iTunes $30 credit
My 3GS, which I set-up on Friday afternoon, still is not activated. Looks like some of us may go beyond the 48-hours and could face up to another 48 hour wait. I don't mind since the 3G SIM from my 2G iphone is working fine in the new phone. Plus I got a $30US iTunes Store credit. The email message is:
Since my old SIM allows the new phone to work, I'm not upset. But, if it didn't work...yeah, I'd be rather angry.
UPDATE: 10 minutes after I got that message, I got one that the new iphone was activated. The old SIM/New phone couldn't access the cellular data network. I swapped SIMs so they are both in their original phones, and all is right with the world. Plus $30 in iTunes Store credit.
My 3GS, which I set-up on Friday afternoon, still is not activated. Looks like some of us may go beyond the 48-hours and could face up to another 48 hour wait. I don't mind since the 3G SIM from my 2G iphone is working fine in the new phone. Plus I got a $30US iTunes Store credit. The email message is:
Since my old SIM allows the new phone to work, I'm not upset. But, if it didn't work...yeah, I'd be rather angry.
UPDATE: 10 minutes after I got that message, I got one that the new iphone was activated. The old SIM/New phone couldn't access the cellular data network. I swapped SIMs so they are both in their original phones, and all is right with the world. Plus $30 in iTunes Store credit.
Tr0jan - hope you got your's worked out.
I had to call back a 3rd time. But, I guess 3rd time was a charm.
I got a rep that stayed on the line, and "sent us to telephone area" where you push 1 to accept the terms etc, but there was tech difficulties still, so that same area said, transferring to a CS Rep. (So now there are 2 ATT Reps on the phone line w/ me) This 2nd Rep now, was able to ask me 1 question. (which was something like, "do you accept the terms of the contract from when you pre-ordered your phone, blah blah blah?")
The 2nd Rep asks for my ICCID & IMEI numbers and 15 secs and one phone reboot and every thing was activated.
I then changed to a shared plan with the 1st Rep, and asked for some bonus rollover mins (was losing about 1800 mins cause of changing the plan from single line to shared lines) for my hassle in dealing with this. So, 1st rep started the new plan with 500 bonus rollover mins.
So, just be sure to stay on the line for the correct rep, after your get the "sorry we are having tech difficulties, please hold for a rep"
BEST OF LUCK!!!
I have the exact same problem,ordered 2 phones at 9am on Friday at O2 in Glasgow.Still no connection despite numerous calls to o2 and the shop in glasgow.
T
Tr0janMan08
Guest
Thanks for the response Power. I finally got a hold of a CS Rep who would not give up and he got me activated. Sounds like he did something very similar to what happened with you. I believe it mostly revolved around my port not being set up. This took multiple hours (most the time I was not on the phone with him) but he finally called me and said they got it fixed.
Thanks
The 02 Store told me today that all business accounts are going to be ported in bulk tonight and the phone will activate Monday! Not holding my breath!
new2, can the business support team (0800 number) even find out account?
Just called them, they have no note of my account or phone number.This is despite the fact that I have called them 4 times in the last 2 days.They suggested that I return to the store to see if they can sort it out.I already did this yesterday but they couldn't help so asked them at the shop to call the business line to speak to someone there.Was fobbed off with lame excuses about it being a new launch and it was taking time to process everyone.
Every time I speak to someone I get a different excuse I wish they could be honest and tell me the truth.
Hope it will be activated tomorrow.
Same position as us then.
Phoned 3 times and only once were they happy to deal with us, the other two times that had zero record of our account based on the two mobile numbers.
They are blaming it all on the iPhone and everything is way too busy! The store told me yesterday that there was a 24 hour delay but today they told me 'we had an e-mail last night to tell us all business lines would be activated on MOnday'.
I don't know how their systems work but it sounds like our data hasn't been transfer from the store yet!
Pls Help Me With This..urgent
PLEASE can anybody help me with this..?
i have purchased an official iphone 3g ....2 months back...and have installed more than 50 apps on it from my friends computer(synced on my friends computer)...!!
i have not synced my iphone with any other pc after that...!
now i want to install the new 3.0 firmware through my laptop....and at the same time i want to make sure not to lose any of the apps/music/contacts/videos/ that exist in my iphone...!!
how to do so..?
PLEASE can anybody help me with this..?
i have purchased an official iphone 3g ....2 months back...and have installed more than 50 apps on it from my friends computer(synced on my friends computer)...!!
i have not synced my iphone with any other pc after that...!
now i want to install the new 3.0 firmware through my laptop....and at the same time i want to make sure not to lose any of the apps/music/contacts/videos/ that exist in my iphone...!!
how to do so..?
first off, WRONG SECTION....second, you can't do that noob. Once you sync with your pc, all of the apps you got from his pc will disappear. So either sync through his pc again or buy the apps yourself
I sold my 3G and kept the sim. Got my 3GS at 9:00pm and it wasn't working by 12:30am. Then I realized the girl who sold it to me put in the other sim card, so I switched them out and it activated immediately. Happy now.