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New iPhone 3G Owners Not Able to Activate Phones, iTunes Completely Overloaded [Updated With Solution]

Submitted by Michael Johnston on July 11, 2008 - 12:12pm.
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As the iPhone 3G began rolling out in the United States, customers have begun experiencing extreme difficulty when attempting to activate or "unbrick" their iPhone 3Gs from within iTunes. Customers on the East Coast have had more luck than customers in states further west who are completely unable to use their new phones. The process of signing up for the plan in Apple and AT&T stores is being completed swiftly (in about 8 minutes), leaving only iTunes' activation servers to blame. Those who cannot get their phones activated within a reasonable amount of time are being sent home to complete activation there.

Two of our guys have gotten their phones activated, while both Ed and myself are stuck with iBricks for the time being. Let us know in the comments whether or not your phones have been activated. If you have a trick to getting it to process (rubber chickens, chants, rebooting), we'd love to hear those too.

Update: According to several Genius Bar guys, Apple is saying that customers should simply leave the iPhone plugged in after receiving the activation error. After several minutes, the phone should be good to go. Please let us know if this works for anyone still stuck!

Activation at home?

Submitted by *iAustin (not verified) on July 11, 2008 - 12:23pm.
so if they can't get it activated in store during a reasonable time, they send them home?
then how do they get it activated at home?
doesnt AT&T and Apple stores have a special version of the unbricking tool?

Waking iTunes

Submitted by EarlyAdopter on July 11, 2008 - 12:23pm.
At 09:30 MDT I was able to get my gen-1 phone re-registered after iTunes Store timed out by clicking another entry on my iTunes list and returning to theiPhone item. I may just have been lucky, since the West Coast was just opening for business.

Rogers Canada

Submitted by tqandil on July 11, 2008 - 12:26pm.
I just bought my iPhone in east coast Canada. Unable to activate/unbrick the iPhone. Apple server seems to be down.

activating old iphone after 2.0 update?

Submitted by iphonehelp (not verified) on July 11, 2008 - 12:28pm.
hi folks...i just did a stupid thing. i updated my iphone to 2.0 software...it completed and verified but logged out after trying to activate. how do i try activating again? i don't won't to unplug it and not sure how to try re-activating? or does anyone know how to re-install back to old software? i think the the apple server is way to busy.....thanks!!!

That's strange

Submitted by xxporkxsodaxx on July 11, 2008 - 12:33pm.
I got to AT&T at about 7AM and didn't get my iPhone until 9:20 because of a moderate line in front of me. They never sent anyone home with a bricked iPhone to my knowledge, I sure didn't get sent home with one, and my process including paperwork took about 10 minutes at the most.

Tricks

Submitted by ibskibum (not verified) on July 11, 2008 - 12:34pm.
My girlfriend and I both managed to get ours to activated when you go to itunes and it attempts to load, send yourself a text message, and BINGO!!!! It just worked for both of us about five minutes ago!

1 out of 2 ain't bad

Submitted by ericwastaken (not verified) on July 11, 2008 - 12:35pm.
Hi,

I was upgrading and walked out from the store with an active 3G iPhone. They activated there at around 9:00 AM EST. Got home by 9:45 AM EST and was able to restore my backup. iPhone 3G working fine.

BUT, I kept the old phone and assigned it a new number. They said to "activate at home like last year". No luck on that one from either my PC or MAC. iTunes definitely overloaded because I get a connection issue. I'm in no hurry to get the old phone activated, so I'll wait to make "room" for others.

Good Luck everyone!

Submitted by nevon (not verified) on July 11, 2008 - 12:39pm.
I got home and couldn't even download iTunes, the link was gone! Guess I should have done it yesterday. So I'll be waiting until after work to have a working phone.

Hopefully.

The AT&T support line said to try again "tonight, after everyone else does it".

If you don't have an activated phone, call AT&T (US) and ask for at the minimum a refund of the "Upgrade" or "Activation" fee. I read somebody online got one, they wouldn't give it to me but I will be trying again. My old phone's dead, and my iPhone is a brick, and I had to pay for that "service"!

all gone...

Submitted by prince on July 11, 2008 - 12:54pm.
i tried to upgrade to 2.0 and my phone is dead now.... dont even know what to do i tried everything but no luck.

Not Very Happy!!!!!

Submitted by *chandon (not verified) on July 11, 2008 - 1:13pm.
I have to admit, right about now, I'm wishing I would have waited. Waited for the iPhone 3G that is. I got up early this morning, thinking i would be one of the first in line. Wrong. Iwas like, maybe # 50 in line. Not bad, but I just didn't think that there would be THAT many people. I mean, I guess somehow I really DID, but I just couldn't get up any earlier. Oh well, that really wasn't a problem. Everyone in line was assured they would get a phone. They said maybe not the color you want (in the 16GB of course), but you WOULD MOS DEF get a phone. I waited patiently in the line discussing all of the usual iPhone talk with all the others waiting. We were given bottled water, and talked to about diff rates, and talk plans. I already have an iPhone 1st gen, so I knew what Iwas in for............sorta. I get in the store at about 8:45am and all is going great. I was so excited!!! I decided to get the white 16GB, and was ready to get finished with my purchase. The entire process in the AT&T store was fairly simple. I was suprised when I was told to go home and "finish activation" there. Cool, I thought. I loved activating in the comforts of my own home, so off I went. Bag in tow, I darted out past the now MUCH LONGER LINE with the prize in hand. However when I got home, the joy was all but gone!!! I have now been "finishing activation" for 3 and a half hours!!!!!! I still have no service to either my new shiny 3G iPhone or my equally attractive 1st gen model. I am about to lose my patience. Does anyone out there have any suggestions about what to do? Apple, feels free to chime in if you know any tricks as well!!! Just not very happy at the moment!!! I LOOOOOOOOVE this phone.......................I'd just like to use it.

Submitted by *Hey (not verified) on July 11, 2008 - 1:33pm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by *chandon View Post
I have to admit, right about now, I'm wishing I would have waited. [...] I LOOOOOOOOVE this phone.......................I'd just like to use it.
Try what the other dude says. Send urself a text message. It sounds like a good idea. I dont have a 3G yet. Im waiting for the excitement to die down. I did wait in line for 4 1/2 hours on the opening of the first generation. Good Times.

Me too......

Submitted by MikeinNC27 (not verified) on July 11, 2008 - 1:49pm.
I also got to the store at 7am with many people in front of me. I actually bought the last one the store had. Same problems everywhere. The first few people in the store took HOURS to get activated (before they started sending people home to do it.) Once I got in the door (5.5 hours after I showed up), it took 5 minutes to get mine. I've been trying to activate it through iTunes for 2 hours now with no luck...... Right now this phone is nothing but a paper weight.

Submitted by WatersWest on July 11, 2008 - 1:59pm.
That sucks. Like I said about a week ago, you don't want to be the 1st-day guinea pigs. Wait a few days or even a week and its bound to be a lot smoother and a lot less frustrating.

it's all fine now... for me

Submitted by grafixgrrrl on July 11, 2008 - 2:35pm.
i've been trying for 5 hours, and it finally worked! just updating my first gen iphone to 2.0. thank god, i was freakin without it.