iPhone 3G: long lines, activation problems
The launch of Apple Inc.’s much-anticipated new iPhone turned into an information-technology meltdown on Friday, as customers were unable to get their phones working. “It’s such grief and aggravation,” said Frederick Smalls, an insurance broker in Whitman, Mass., after spending two hours on the phone with Apple and AT&T Inc., trying to get his new iPhone to work. In stores, people waited at counters to get the phones activated, as lines built behind them. Many of the customers had already camped out for several hours in line to become among the first with the new phone, which updates the one launched a year ago by speeding up Internet access and adding a navigation chip. A spokesman for AT&T, the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S., said there was a global problem with Apple’s iTunes servers that prevented the phones from being fully activated in-store, as had been planned.
Instead, employees are telling buyers to go home and perform the last step by connecting their phones to their own computers, spokesman Michael Coe said. However, the iTunes servers were equally hard to reach from home, leaving the phones unusable except for emergency calls. The problem extended to owners of the previous iPhone model. A software update released for that phone on Friday morning required the phone to be reactivated through iTunes. When the first iPhone went on sale a year ago, customers performed the whole activation procedure at home, freeing store employees to focus on sales. But the new model is subsidized by carriers, and Apple and AT&T therefore planned to activate all phones in-store to get customers on a contract.
Souce: AP
Comments(76)
buing one of these
Everything will be fine without a doubt… =]
suckers
I bought one at the 5th ave cube today. Stood on a line for about 2 hours. The activation process was fast for me but right before i came in it was down. But I was lucky of course
. Got a 16gb white iphone
I got one, and it’s working c”,)
If I have slvr on the cingular network right now? Can i just take my sim card out and put it in the iphone?
can I make calls with this?
Is this thing still considered cool when 14 year old kids are carrying them?
@6 No. If you read the story, it says that AT&T has exclusive usage of the iPhone in America. Besides, the phone is locked in every county so you can only use it with the provider you signed up with.
My girlfriend and I predicted this. They say the ‘in-store activation’ process is because the companies subsidise the phone’s cost but that only half the story. They DO subsidise the cost but that means you can’t get an iPhone out of contact and unlock it. If you could buy one and unlock it like the last iPhone, I’d probably get one.
The reason they are locking people into network contracts is because it was estimated that half of all 2G iPhones sold where bought from overseas buys and unlocked as you didn’t HAVE to activate them AT&T. So you’d buy the phone, go home and put it on ebay for twice the price and people would buy them in other countries and unlock them to use on their desired networks.
iphone is a epic failure.
Got my 16 gig white iPhone @ the Apple store in the Palisades Mall.. took about 2hrs to get into the store, once in I was out with my new phone within 30min. No problems with the activation, very happy with the phone.
I think I need to get one of those iPhones to help me find Taken 2008 dvdscr with hardcoded subs which also pred yesterday like the iPhone
Awww poor consumers!! Had to stand in line… had to wait!!! i feel soooooo sorry for you all!! awww……. losers, it is a phone, if you cannot wait until the lines have died down to get an iphone, you deserve to have it stolen from you.
spend your money on something worth it.
you are just going to end up dropping this p.o.s anyways and breaking it! apple ipod iphones and itouch’s suck anyways
friggin itunes
blah
mine already broke (completely froze wouldnt turn on or off) so I got a replacement tonight. Im ready to return this POS and get my money back. Internet is no faster than my 1st generation, and seems like the GUI is glitchy and slower.
What’s the hype about the iphone. Can it shoot laser like the one in James Bond? If not, then I don’t see it any differences than Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, or just any other brand out there? Well, as least, Apple sure knows how to market their stuff.
Ha. I-pod for music and videos. Simple cell phone to make calls and text. Guess I’m a little old school
14=TROLL
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zWaQQqR8RG8
how much does this thing cost in the US ?
The device looks pretty and user interface is questionably slicker than what competitors offer.
Howeverrrrrrr. Am I the only one that only spends $10 a month on calls & texts?
Seriously, there’s so many places besides home where you can hop on the internet and use skype, messenger, twitter, email all free of charge!
The phone is fun, the contract is killing me. Not a buy.
@13
Dont hate cause you cant afford the phone.
Well looks like american gangs gonna have a good weekend this week, jacking all this 14 year olds and 30 year olds “hipsters”
Better Watch your Back IPHONE – POS owners.
Muse: “Dont hate cause you cant afford the phone.”
If only it were a matter of the price tag.
The iPhone has all the ergonomic comfort of a rounded brick next to the side of your face; while offering the practicality of a digital camera, 3.5″ LCD photo album, and GPS navigation all in a handheld.
God forbid I own a gun because I’ll feel the urge to shoot in the face drivers in oncoming traffic taking one hand off the wheel holding one of these trying to find their direction after leaving their caller on hold.
Owners of the Dell Axim actually look ‘retro-cool’ now in comparison: “Live live the stylus!”
iDIOTS
could have wait a bit
Phu Q Eye Fone with your Phake Pheatures!
lol @ people who buy this just to show off
These morons in Canada went right away to get the Iphone at an outrageous price from ROGERS since they are the ONLY GSM network.
If the dumb Canadians waited ONE MORE DAY and said “Hey maybe if I wait one day.. they’ll lower the price and I will save HUNDREDS of dollars”
Instead they bought it as if its the end of the world.
morons.
Ha! HAHAHA! Muhahaha! LoL! Apple’s failure brings me great joy and a good 40 seconds of laughing…
Your misfortune put a smile on my face…
nuked: in.store.activation.needed
that’ll teach morons for buying a dumb product just because of an expensive advertisement process.
All Apple products are FAILURES in the end.
No activation required in Canada. It’s registered with Rogers and iTunes detects it and Registers it manually for you.
SUCKERS!!! DO a google search and you will already find programs that unlock this from AT&T so you can use it on any system, and yes I am talking about the “new” apple chunk o crap that all the people stood in line for.
What you are doing on the IPhone, I have been able to do on my blackberry phone for the better part of 2 years. They only difference is that you have the touch screen. Big honking deal, that is NOT worth an extra $200. for me to even consider it. And what makes me laugh, is my blackberry is able to be used on ANY phone network, I am not locked into just one.
Barnum said there is a sucker born every minute, and all of these people that just had to have this phone proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt.
All you people that down on the iPhone obviously have never used one. When you can eventually afford one you wont go back to a normal phone bacause any other phone feels like an out dated piece of junk, not only its feel (all those weird buttons) but in the way it operates. Its really annoying now because I keep trying to touch the screen when I use any other phone. Even the camera is ok in daylight usage and lets face it any phone camera is a piece of junk even my girlfriends 5mp sony is crap. Get a camera for pictures and an iPhone for communicating, oh yea I forgot you cant afford to splash out or you would have already bought an iPhone.
@14:”Instead they bought it as if its the end of the world.”
So it has been with any release of a popular electronic device. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii. I still don’t have any of these systems.
As for the iPhone, it’s useless to me, since I dislike AT&T, and I’m already on Verizon. iPod Touch I do have though, and I’m slightly frustrated that I can’t upgrade it to use the apps. Been wanting to get some games on the thing, and now I can’t even do that, for now. Lame.
B005T3R: “oh yea I forgot you cant afford to splash out or you would have already bought an iPhone.”
The money you’ve spent buying the iPhone and the expensive 3-4 year contract that comes with it on your carrier is money I’d rather spend after saving up for merely 4-6 months buying online without queuing for even a second:
1) an $80 USD prepaid Motorola Razr
2) a Canon PowerShot A590 IS
3) a Garmin Nuvi 350
4) a Glock (with which to shoot drivers in the face who take one hand off the wheel to hold their iPhone on GPS navigation mode)
Good luck the next time Apple decides to upgrade the iPhone firmware again.
I’d bet good money it’ll become brick upon an incomplete iTunes connection just the like 1st gen. owners saw yesterday.
Brash I didnt que for anything, I didnt get one yesterday. I have the previous model and downloaded v2 software yesterday via iTunes.
I am in the UK on a 18 month contract and I dont have to pay for the upgrade its free to me as Im already on contract. I just have to go into the shop when I can be bothered and they will give me the G3 iPhone for free and Ill give my current one to my girlfriend. In fact the only reason Ill be getting my free upgrade is so my girlfriend can have the one I have now.
You wont catch me using it for anything other than communicating with people, I have a decent camera for pictures, sat nav for getting around.
Btw its also pretty cool to be able to use my iPhone as a remote for iTunes via wifi anywhere in my house….
It’s locked for every country so unless you patch that or there is a workaround….. you can’t buy a simlock free iphone for example in Belgium for less than 600 euro and than use it in The Netherlands or any other country where they are only sold as part of a stupid subscription deal.
I’ll wait or I’ll stick with what I have. All that hype just to have the latest toy. Sorry, not for me.
For all of those people that bought iPhone 3G “GOOD LUCK”. I mean first of all you are signing 3 years contact and if you are already with rogers you will have extract 3 years contract. Now second you wont see your bill less then $100 at all. Basic plan is starting from $100 so now you do the numbers. Actually its much more expensive them buying the actually phone from USA and unlocking it here and using it here. I have a friend who bought that phone today and he already has issues and he had to choose basic plan for it but he knows that he will go over that basic plan and waste more so he made a mistake but too late now. I just dont understand how people dont do any research before buying. I got to say Canada has big percentage of stupid people. I even found out that you cant unlock that phone. Also stop saying stupid things like “you are hating because you can not afford that phone” anyone can afford that phone but they are not stupid to fall for it like those people today and probably entire weekend. I think smart people will buy the best and everyone knows that Samsung i900 is much better. I guess i am into Japanese technology and i think im into that because they never failed me. From cars to their phones.
Again to everyone that has an iPhone good luck and have fun while it lasts.
i just got a htc touch diamond…..and i love it!
gets ready to be jumped on by all the apple lovers!
WHO SAID THIS WAS GOING TO BE HALF THE PRICE??
IN PORTUGAL ITS 500 €uros without contract plan, and the 129€uros contract got a 2 year contract with 30€uros/month, and theyre throwing launch parties everywhere like this is a revolutionary phone and forget the price tag.
@21
I can afford it, but I can get a phone that does LOADS more for cheaper. Only ignorant fanboys that refuse to looks at the facts like these.
@39
So true! The Samsung i900 or even the g800 (which I’m getting in a couple of months when I can upgrade from my Nokia N73, which is a great phone too) kicks the iPhone’s butt.
I got mine jailbroken,unlocked and activated in Croatia where no iPhone can be sold (no network is offering it).
Btw, it’s old version (EDGE) and if you have it you can unlock/jailbreak/activate with some tools (check iPhone Dev Team – hint:google).
As for new version 3G, yes it can be already unlocked, tools is yet in beta testing, and it will be soon out, not over the weekend but maybe day after, and then all phones can be unlocked and used on all networks!
Btw.. check http://www.gizmodo.com from time to time or http://www.modmyifone.com
Stone age techonology american phone… I’ve read about the spect on this and i’m kinda surprised people consider this advanced technology in the US… Apparently the american market has lagged behind.
good they made it like this with the activation, or too many people would have it
nokia + ipod touch
:D
good thing EVERYONE has computer so that they can “activate” their iphone at home. i mean wtf?
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Big ROFL LMAO to every moron saying “U dont have one cuz U cant afford it”. How can U be so stupid and ignorant?
))
This is just a quiet expensive toy for kids, real ppl wont have any use of it to approve the extra spending.
Lets go to some detail:
1. internet access – where should I have use of it? At home? I have an FTTH 70/4Mb optical line, notebooks connected through WiFi, so U can see me staring at the tiny screen… or should I use it in car? Cuz thats where I spend quiet much time and no internet there (if the EDGE card in my notebook doesnt count). OK, I wont use it in car, dangerous. So should I use it in the office? Well, guess what? Yepp, I have internet in the office too. But I could use it in the elevator, thats a few minute w/o internet while not driving. But wait… what would this be good for? OK, so I could have internet during my lunch or dinner, or in the cinema or theatre, or while enjoying my spare time on bike, walking in the forrest, in gym, playing with kids, having sex with wife, watching TV etc… wait, no, I think I dont need it during these activities.
2. multimedia support – well yess. I could watch movies or listen to mp3 music at home, right? Errr, no. I prefer to use my AV system for the purpose, was quiet expensive, U could afford a used car for the price. OK, so again – in car? No, hi-fi there, too. In office? Nope, I work there. In elevator? LOL! Gym, nature? Well I could use it for music with headphones, but guess what – my recent phone already has the feature, as well as the iPod I got as a present somewhere. So in restaurant, cinema, theatre? Well, yess, I enjoy watching videos on the phone during lunch
3. GPS – yes, I always wanted to have GPS in my phone. Especially last time when I lost my way from the kitchen to the toilet. OK, joking. I have a builtin GPS in my car and no matter how cool U consider the iPhone 3D to be, I prefer iDrive over it. And I havent found any use of a GPS outside of my car, so another ultra cool iPhone feature for me. Thx.
4. Camera – yess, this is obviously the first and only phone with a digital camera in it.
I could continue, but it would be useless anyway. But all U stupid ignorant kids, pls stop your stupid and ignorant “U cant afford it” remarks. All U do is looking for excourses for staying few hours in a line like a dumbass paying premium for a “kewl” gadget with a bunch of useless features, which will only shine in the eyes of ppl shallow like U.
I got the HTC touch diamond yesterday, after playing on my friends Iphone. HTC touch diamond is WAY BETTER. Just because the phone hasnt been marketed to you little sheep doesnt mean “APPLE RULES” its a Iphone with 3G, why didnt apple release the phone with 3G in the first place?? more sales more sales. HTC Touch Diamond has 3G, HDPSA, and everything else you want. And its windows mobile 6.1
oh, and the touch diamond was FREE and the monthly contract works out at £15! Yes, £15, or $29. Whats an Iphone going to cost the UK user?
is it cracked yet?
please, no more… no moooore pleeeeeeease
Marketing and apple fans aside, can’t find a worthy reason to buy this overpriced product. Far better phones around with more capabilities and a lower price. I have 2 phones, a blackberry and an HTC, tested the previous iphone for a few days in a friends house, and obviously it’s not worth a buy.
Why people would stand in line for hours to buy a phone is beyond me.
lol, good one for people who believe that all tecnology related problems are linked to Bill Gates…
I will wait for the iPhone version 7…with iTunes version 14.7
What I really find hard to believe is this kind of people waiting in line 2 hours only to get new phone, and then, complaining that they can’t start playing with it. People, just grow up, please!!
It’s so annoying to read about you and your anxiety. There are so many things than are worth of ansiety, but not this. It’s unbelievable!!!
Can’t you just wait one more day or two, or what it takes? WAIT, WAITING, are you feeling sick when you read that words??. What is the big problem here???
Get a life, soon!!!
Will you wait 2 hours in line, to donate that money to people that are dying of hunger??? Oh, no, you can wait 2 for a stupid little new gadget, but you won’t spend your money helping other people!! You moron!!!
I think I’ll just stick with my Virtu signature cobra..
Their only making 8 of them so I’m pretty sure I’ll have the only one in Arkansas..
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Vertu-Releases-Signature-Cobra-and-Python-42965.shtml
I still can’t get my head around the fact that it’s a PHONE. Why should a sleek fancy phone make me happy?
But if I was a 15 year old girl it would be great, because all the kids at school would be like so jealous and stuff and we could talk and text all day.
@58 I don’t know if being unwilling to donate money to others is the same as being a moron.
Personally I don’t see the point in the Iphones when I can get a new Blackberry Curve for nearly free after a bit of haggling. But I’ve also never really been a fan of Ipods. Sure when they where new they where one of the better players, at the time alot of companies where making some really akward devices. But now, virtually every music player you get has as nice of a user experience, and the same features as the Ipod. They cost less, some play a wider range of formats, and alot of them don’t require added software like itunes ( making them more cross platform ).
I am waiting for the Blackberry BOLD to come out later this month. has all the bells and whistles and its a blackberry , and i don’t have to keep wiping the damn screen
“@58 I don’t know if being unwilling to donate money to others is the same as being a moron.”
It is, because some people are willing to wait in line hours to spend 200 dollars in a new gadget, but won’t do the same to donate money to a good cause.
Got mine, waited 5 1/2 hours in line, activation process went smooth for me. I missed all the downtime and I have been enjoying my 16GB Black to the fullest extent.
You just suck
hmmmmmmm
I feel a southpark episode coming ;P
@27, youre are a funny uninformed ass
rogers took the price down to 30$ for 800 minutes+ 6 GB data instead of 129, and they did it wednesday, you should get one, there is a news app on it you could use
where buy a Iphone 3G ???
Pleaseee reply mee
where buy a Iphone 3G ???
Online!
whit mastercard!
Pleaseee reply mee
49 – idiot.
It’s not a matter of what it can do or how well can do it, just look at it, it’s BEAUTIFUL, use it just like a normal phone, the apps, the gps…. kids material, but nowadays there is no other phone stunning as this one, HTC is oddly shapen, like a not-so-pretty girl compared to cameron diaz’s beautiful sister… (metaphor, dumbass!)
who would you want? the efficent, smart, pretty girl, or the not-so-smart smoking hot supermodel?
I’d go for the supermodel..
I bought mine like 2 hours after it came out here in OZ and there was no line because i went to a less known dealer.
Don’t complain about the lines of people just figure a way around it and use your heads ( no offence meant) I love my iphone i always had latest phones and now this wow – at a start its a bit akward but when you use it more it becomes easy and clever, sure there is some bugs like you cant have any photos on the phone while you connects it to the itunes or it will recognise the phone as camera and crash the pc – im sure apple will fix it soon, over all a great piece of technology/stylish and fun a+++
PS I DONT CARE IF YOU DONT LIKE MY SPELLING
thanks for the news…. engadget
Lining up for phone?!
What has the world come to?
It’s good to know that when this phone is updated again you’ll all still have about 10 months of contract left.
Of course at that point the world economy will be in the toilet and you’ll out of a job – you’re house will be in the possesion of the creditors and the plastic part of your iphone will look like someone has been ice skating on it.
With a bit of luck anyway.
There needs to be a world plague – may get rid of some of you idiots.
71 – look at the mirror if U wanna see an idiot. The truth hurts, right? How much time did U spend in the line for this new BS? 3-4? LOL!
locking people into network contracts is just wrong. It forces consumers to be locked in. Who thinks in three years nothing else would be released that would offer more advantages ahead? And just how does any iphone customer get to use their paid for product when traveling to other countries where their only provider doesn’t offer iphone connectivity service?
The whole point of locking consumers into their products, is the same as how Microsoft Windows and their products attempt to do. By getting you to sign a legal binding three year contract, your paying for the product many times more, and insuring even if you don’t use your service you’re still paying for it no matter what. And if you happen to use more of the service, going beyond their limited bandwidth you’re end up paying even more, just to use your product.
The iPhone is the highest costing phone, when everyone already knows, all IP VoIP calls using the Internet are absolutely and totally FREE all the time, anywhere.
The big monopolies are just coming up with new methods to insure their customers don’t switch over to FREE IP VoIP services, and buy into three year contracts…
It’s like buying a new automobile just to make a call. No thanks I don’t need this crap to make my calls. Why are you paying for it through the nose?