Here is the key to iPhone activation!

[DanUC6]

To set up your iPhone, you'll need an account with Apple's iTunes Store. If you already have an iTunes account, make sure you know your account name and password. If you don't have an account, you should set one up now to save time later. To set up an account, launch iTunes, select the iTunes Store, and click the Sign In button in the upper right corner of iTunes. Sign in and you're ready to go.
***Taken from the email Apple sent

You will buy it and then you NEED an iTunes account to set it up!

 

[bluetiger20]

Maybe thats registration for support?

 

[jesse_thomas]

Makes sense

It make sense to me you'd need an iTunes account. You can't do much with Apple devices without one.

 

[ahactor]

Yeah, I definitely agree with jesse_thomas, you need iTunes for the iPhone, we kinda figured that. The e-mail didn't say that that was how it is activated.

 

[wjp09]

^^ Was all of that in an email sent recently?

 

[DanUC6]

yup. Got one from Apple and AT&T

 

[Saiko]

^^ Was all of that in an email sent recently?

Yeah, Apple sent an email this morning.

This is a copy of what it said -

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/12/Apple_offers_tips_on_how_to_prepare_for_iphone.html

 

[wjp09]

Thankyou for the link. I think those are just general tips and what not, not exactly activation info

 

[DanUC6]

It does say you need an account to setup. I think when you buy at Apple they will give you instrutions to activate it on iTunes. There is no way they will be able to handle activations there because they would need at the software that AT&T uses. You may be able to activate when bought at AT&T though.

 

[chris]

Yes, this site does have a home page with news.

 

[Saiko]

Yes, this site does have a home page with news.

Haha sorry, Chris!

 

[ahactor]

It does say you need an account to setup. I think when you buy at Apple they will give you instrutions to activate it on iTunes. There is no way they will be able to handle activations there because they would need at the software that AT&T uses. You may be able to activate when bought at AT&T though.

I doubt that, all phone activations will be done in the store. Or else you could buy one off of ebay or something and activate it. Also, you need a special SIM, and that will be done in the store, and your phone needs to be activated frist. iTunes can't conduct businesss for AT&T. I have never seen self-activation with a plan.

 

[ColsTiger]

[FONT=Lucida Grande, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif]

To set up your iPhone, you'll need an account with Apple's iTunes Store. If you already have an iTunes account, make sure you know your account name and password. If you don't have an account, you should set one up now to save time later. To set up an account, launch iTunes, select the iTunes Store, and click the Sign In button in the upper right corner of iTunes. Sign in and you're ready to go.[/FONT]

***Taken from the email Apple sent

You will buy it and then you NEED an iTunes account to set it up!

You're not going to activate the phone through iTunes. You're going to sync the phone through iTunes. In other words, you'll use iTunes to sync your phone so you can load your address book, appointments, songs, photos, and all those other things discussed in the email that went out today to everyone that left their email at Apple.com and At&t.com.

It doesn't say anything about activating your iPhone.

 

[ColsTiger]

It does say you need an account to setup. I think when you buy at Apple they will give you instrutions to activate it on iTunes. There is no way they will be able to handle activations there because they would need at the software that AT&T uses. You may be able to activate when bought at AT&T though.

If you buy at the Apple store, you'll probably activate it over the phone, just like you do when you buy a phone from AT&T's online store. It's just a matter of inserting the sim card and calling a toll free number.

I don't see activations happening on iTunes. I know some do, but there's a big difference between setup and activate.

 

[Fafafoooey]

If you buy at the Apple store, you'll probably activate it over the phone, just like you do when you buy a phone from AT&T's online store. It's just a matter of inserting the sim card and calling a toll free number.

I don't see activations happening on iTunes. I know some do, but there's a big difference between setup and activate.

Or they might have some ATT booth set up in the stores to do the activations on the spot.

 

[ColsTiger]

Or they might have some ATT booth set up in the stores to do the activations on the spot.

They could, but i doubt it.

 

[mav]

I don't think we will be activating through iTunes but who knows?

I also doubt we will be activating at the Apple Stores. Why? Just think of the logistics involved. For each iPhone buyer, they will have to fill out an application, apply for credit, select a voice/data plan, set up their account, switch their old number over and answer questions about the plans and AT&T service. The entire process takes 10-15 minutes if they rush through it.

And there are too many variables involved. What if the credit app is denied? What is the credit app is approved but a deposit is required? What if the iPhone buyer is already an AT&T customer? What if they are an AT&T customer and wants to add a line to their account?

 

[iphonenut]

this sounds good for all of us. because as we all know, iTunes is super easy to use.

but as i've read else where...if Apple and AT&T really want to sell the iPhone to businessses, are they going to have to be running iTunes on the corporate servers to activate and keep running? this sounds a bit sketchy for them.

 

[rollerbones]

If you buy your phone at a Apple store how are they going to do the credit check to see if you can get phone service? I really don't think you would want to buy it, go home and find out you cant activate because of bad credit...

 

[mav]

I remember reading somewhere that Jobs promising that everything regarding the iPhone will be innovative and revolutionary, including the activation process.

Maybe they will do some basic stuff at the store, such as having people choose if they are a new AT&T customer or a current AT&T customer. Current customers will just need to move their account over to a new plan and restart a new two year contract. New customers will go through a credit check to make sure you qualify for AT&T service and maybe given a phone number and a special unique activation code to call AT&T to finish the activation process. Or maybe it could be done online?