Wow, amazing. No need for a PC to "activate" (I still have absolutely no idea what "activating" actually does) your iOS device. Apple forgot to mention that EVERY mobile device that doesn't run iOS has been able to work straight out of the box since, well, 1814BC or something. I literally can't recall a single device that needs "activation" besides iOS devices.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
"PC Free"
- Thread starter Merkie
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
yeah, and those devices are sometimes very out of date right out of the box also yes? The activation whether usb or wi-fi serves to ensure that updates and code additions or updates are applied immediately.
I have no problem with that at all.
I have no problem with that at all.
The main reason was to ensure that you are using the phone with the "correct" carrier - AT&T in most cases.
That's still going to happen, but the device can do it itself rather than needing iTunes.
It's still very backward, but not as backward as it used to be.
All phones require activiation by the carrier. Before iPhone this was always done in the store when you bought the phone. The iPhone connection to iTunes was originally to get around that so the phone could be shipped unactivated and then activiated at home via iTunes instead of having to go to a store for it.
Now something like a WiFi iPad needed that same connection to also work and then when Apple starting activating most phone in the store as well it is more a hassle now then a help but there was more merit to the original idea.
Yeah, I understand that. But my 10 year old Nokia 3310 was able do this on a 96x96 monochrome display from the very beginning.
Not true at all. You buy a phone, you insert the SIM, you boot the phone. All at home. I've done that plenty of times. That's all there is to it. I've never activated a phone in my life besides my iPhone.
Maybe the US is different. I still don't understand what really is happening when an iPhone is activated. And why the procedure even exists. As I said before, my 10 year old Nokia 3310 didn't need activation, why does the iPhone?
Last edited by a moderator:
It checks the unlocked status of your iPhone, and unlocks it if it's whitelisted. It also downloads the latest carrier files for your carrier, and loads them onto the device.
Oh, I agree. I had a 3310 (3210 and 3330 as well!) too.
Apple's steps are only there because of the unhealthy relationship they have with AT&T
So it's a barrier against unlocking tools. Weird. Kind of rigorous countermeasures if you ask me. I think pretty much all iPhones come unlocked these days, besides AT&T iPhones. All those iPhones have to go through a "whitelist" just because some iPhones are locked? I still don't see the use of the activation procedure at all. The only thing it achieves is that it makes using an iPhone less user friendly.
So everyone in the WORLD has to through this weird procedure, just because of AT&T? That doesn't sound right.
Last edited by a moderator:
It's not "some" iPhones. Most iPhones in the world are locked, with the option to unlock. The locking and unlocking of iPhones are part of the activation procedure that you use when setting it up.
Secondly, the carrier update is actually important. It sets up things like that APNs for a data connection, something that you usually have to set up manually.
Also, in the past, you were able to also set up an AT&T account when setting up the iPhone. That would most likely be why it was so heavily integrated.
so wifi iPads and iPod touches are locked because of att
The iPod touch doesn't require activation, I don't think the Wi-Fi iPad does either.
Good to see the iPad become truly a mobile computer now that we no longer need to active using another computer.
No you're wrong. The US is the only country in the world where the iPhone is sold by only one GSM carrier. All other countries sell iPhones through multiple carriers and are thus all unlocked. I'm pretty sure the AT&T iPhone is the only locked iPhone in the world.
There is a difference between being sold by one carrier and being sold unlocked. In Canada, the iPhone is being sold by 3 different companies, not to mention MVNOs under these companies, and is locked to whichever you buy.
There's even a ****ing Apple Support article on it.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1937
Hey, look at that column marked "Locked to Carrier". Boy, that sure has a lot of checkmarks, eh?
Like I said, the majority of the world locks iPhones, and only some companies allow authorized unlocking. The activation procedure ensures that if your device is supposed to be locked, it is.
You're obviously ignorant on the subject. For example in England, the iphone is locked to Vodaphone, Orange, Tesco or any of the other iphone carriers in that country. You have to ask the carrier to unlock the phone. Granted, it's not a difficult process, but it still has to be done.
Believe it or not, not everything is AT&T's fault.
Believe it or not, not everything is AT&T's fault.
iPod touches used too, atleast the 3rd gen did... all iPads still require it, even wifi
The iPod touch tells you to connect it to iTunes when you get it out of the box, but connecting it to any computer via USB is enough to remove that screen.
The iPhone activation process is basically you gaining Apple's permission to use your device.
Its the same thing, all iOS devices require this. This PC Free activation no longer will require it.
Connecting an iPhone to a computer will not make it work, you have to go through iTunes to activate it.
If the SIM inside the device isn't "valid" i.e. the phone is locked to carrier X and you have a SIM from carrier Y then iTunes will not activate it and you can't use the device - not even as an iPod touch device (i.e. for music/video/web browsing etc.).
No other phone on the market has a restriction like that. Apple effectively reserves the right to turn any iPhone into a brick by refusing to activate it.
An iPod touch doesn't have this activation process because it doesn't have a SIM. It asks you to connect to iTunes. But if you just plug it in to any PC (or Mac) - it doesn't even need to have iTunes installed, then eject it, you can use it fully (albeit without any synced content).
The only difference with "PC Free" activation is that you don't need to connect to iTunes any more. The same rules will still apply (i.e. you must insert a valid SIM).
Last edited:
iPad 2 surely does. I bought it while at work, opened it and was told to connect to a computer. That made zero sense to me, and thankfully Apple has fixed that.
All 3G devices need to activate with the carrier. The cell tower will register the device and the device will download the necessary APNs for that specific carrier. If the device is not carrier-locked, the carrier is not responsible for giving the device the specific APNs for its network. It's on the end user to do that. It's just a simple communication between carrier/cell tower and the SIM card.
Activation for non-3G devices (WiFi iPod touch, WiFi iPad, etc.) just links that device to an iTunes account. Now, it's done over the air instead of through iTunes. It directly communicates with Apple for non-3G devices and the carrier for 3G devices. No more iTunes as the middle man.
Activation for non-3G devices (WiFi iPod touch, WiFi iPad, etc.) just links that device to an iTunes account. Now, it's done over the air instead of through iTunes. It directly communicates with Apple for non-3G devices and the carrier for 3G devices. No more iTunes as the middle man.
APNs are not automatically downloaded by 3G devices. In some cases, they are preloaded on the SIM card, but these usually refer to the MMS and WAP APNs, not the general internet ones. The carrier file, provided by Apple, contains the settings necessary to connect, including iPhone-specific or Internet APNs, as well as provisioning information for features.
It's pointless to me. When the next iPhone comes out I'll get it on release but I'll have to bring it home anyway as I'll need a wifi connection, doesn't make much difference, it might actually be faster just connecting it to iTunes Then that overnight syncing and stuff seems pointless as well, would mean I would have to leave my laptop on all night.
Then that overnight syncing and stuff seems pointless as well, would mean I would have to leave my laptop on all night.It's pointless to me. When the next iPhone comes out I'll get it on release but I'll have to bring it home anyway as I'll need a wifi connection, doesn't make much difference, it might actually be faster just connecting it to iTunes
free wifi at apple stores!
It's pointless to me. When the next iPhone comes out I'll get it on release but I'll have to bring it home anyway as I'll need a wifi connection, doesn't make much difference, it might actually be faster just connecting it to iTunes
If you set up an iCloud account, then that overnight syncing is done over WiFi to an Apple Server, not your computer. Your thinking of Over-the-air syncing, which is done locally between your iPhone and your computer, but only when you want to add new media/apps to your device like you do now, but without the USB cable.
and like andythursby said, Free WiFi at the Apple Store.