iPhone 3G Doesn't Need To Be Unboxed In-Store; Activation Can Take Place At Home

[Michael Johnston]

<div id="inlinead" class="inlinead"><IFRAME src="http://adserver1.backbeatmedia.com/servlet/ajrotator/13894/222/viewHTML?pool=13886&type=3158&pos=20&zone=5000" width="300" height="250" align="middle" frameborder=0 marginwidth=0 marginheight=0 scrolling=no><script language="JavaScript" src="http://adserver1.backbeatmedia.com/servlet/ajrotator/13894/222/viewJScript?pool=13886&type=3158&pos=20&zone=5000"></script></IFRAME></div><div class="nodecontent"><img src="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/july08/iphonecuddle.jpg" align="right" />

For some extremely loyal (read: crazed) Apple fans, the thought of having to unbox the iPhone 3G in-store seemed like a massive breach of our rights as Apple enthusiasts. Fortunately, the in-store sign up doesn't <i>actually</i> require removing the iPhone from its box. In fact, all that's needed from the iPhone itself is the four barcodes located on the box. Apple and AT&T employees will take the phone out for you by default, although asking to keep it wrapped up for ceremonious unboxing at home shouldn't be a problem.

The long and short of it: iTunes does the "unbricking" so it can be done at home (as most iPhone 3G customers are <a href="http://www.iphonealley.com/news/new-iphone-3g-owners-not-able-activate-phones-itunes-completely-overloaded" target="_blank">learning today</a>).<!--break--></div>

[Michael DeLisi]

Nice! I didn't want Apple Store employees touching my iPhone 3G ;).

[WatersWest]

Why on earth wouldn't they just set it up from the beginning that you have to sign the contract / activate with ATT / provide credit card information / select a plan / etc while IN STORE and then save the best part, the unboxing and unbricking via iTunes, for when you get home??

[Edward Kirk]

Nice! I didn't want Apple Store employees touching my iPhone 3G ;).

If it's any consolation, the employees at the Apple Store in Deer Park we went to went out of their way to be extremely respectful of our desire to control what happened to the iPhone. I got to open my box myself (using a dull but very effective cellophane-wrapping cutter), I got to take it out of the box myself, and the Apple guy just barely touched the phone enough to plug it in to the computer to activate it (which was unsuccessful anyway). Still, the in-store part was a very positive experience and they went out of their way to be respectful of our wishes.

[Michael DeLisi]

Alright, that sounds good. I wish I could go get one today, but I have to wait until early tomorrow. Did you guys compare your screens when you got them? Apple uses a few different LCD panels, which all look a bit different depending on which one you get, and a lot are having a really bad yellow tint issue.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=516792

[nevon]

Actually the girl at the AT&T store opened my package quite gently. I rather enjoyed it. Full service FTW!

[ThePixelle]

To comment on a few comments already made:

- The AT&T rep who assisted me was exceptionally hands-off as soon as he saw me there with a case and screen protector ready to welcome the new device. I was very please that my iPhone was not man-handled. It appeared that other reps at the Vineland NJ location were just as respectful of their customers' new purchases.

- The screen does appear more "yellow" when compared to the original iPhone. However, after comparing some pro stills I keep on my iPhone, I would be more inclined to say the original iPhone's screen is a little too blue and a little too washed out. The colors on the iPhone 3G's screen seem more saturated and the white point appears to be closer to that of a properly calibrated monitor.

- Lastly, yes, the activation can take place at home. I made my purchase shortly after 9:00am and the iTunes store was down (or so I was told by the AT&T rep). I was told to go home and connect it to iTunes. I did, the phone was activated (after another couple of hours of iTunes down time), and I was able to restore my original iPhone settings and files to my iPhone 3G all in the same step.

Altogether, I couldn't have been more pleased with how my experience was handled.

[Michael DeLisi]

I just called my Apple Store and they said that they need to open the boxes in the store. Are you guys sure that we can get it unboxed at home?

[Stephen Eyer]

I waited in line for almost 2 hours at the AT&T store on Geary in San Francisco and then was told the 16 GB black iPhone I wanted would be sold out by the time I got to the counter (at least another 2 hour wait). So...alas, no phone today.

I had a weird thing happened with my iTunes 7.7 upgrade anyway. The "Applications" folder in the Library magically disappeared on me this morning (it was there last night - I had downloaded a few apps already in anticipation of my new phone). The apps are still in my iTunes folder on my desktop, but I can't access them through iTunes. Weird.

[mike3k]

I waited in line at an AT&T store for 2 hours. By the time I got in, they were out of 16G black, so I bought a white one. They didn't even bother trying to activate the iPhones in the store since they knew the server was down. When I got it home, it took about an hour to activate, although the old one was deactivated almost as soon as I left the store.

[iswenson]

im really surprised at how much of the activation takes place at home! i thought the phones were supposed to be completely activated in the store. was this only because their servers were down?

[Michael DeLisi]

I was in the store yesterday (Saturday) and you definitely can't bring it home and activate there, though I did have to go through the activation again at home for some reason, even though everything was working fine.