Apple and AT&T bring back iPhone home activation
By Nilay Patel 
posted Dec 11th 2008 10:46AM
posted Dec 11th 2008 10:46AM
Online shoppers looking to spend the holiday season firmly planted on the couch can add the iPhone 3G back to their lists -- we've just confirmed that Apple and AT&T have quietly brought back in-home activation. Sure, it's been available in limited circumstances before, but now it's here and for real, just like with the first-gen unit. Would-be unlockers looking to score a phone for $199 flat can't start celebrating just yet, though -- you'll still have to provide your billing details and face an ETF if you don't activate within a set period of time. Oh well -- at least it's convenient, right?[Via Boy Genius Report]
Let the hacking begin.......................again.
I'm pretty you can already do this in the UK already. Feel free to prove me wrong.
I can prove you wrong, you have to activate in-store, just like the US, except the lines were shorter and the servers did not go down.
It took me all of 30 minutes to download Quickpwn, two ipsw files - and then to run Quick Pwn to completely Pwn my iPhone.
PWNED OS 2.2!
Cydia, Installer and all other types of unlicensed apps for the taking, including PDAshare so I can use the iPhone as a bluetooth wireless 3G cellular modem :-o after Apple decided to remove Netshare from the App Store.
So...what is apple saying about Home activation? HOW ABOUT HOME PWNAGE !
@RichardR: I bought mine online (from the Carphone Warehouse) and never stepped foot instore.
I'm willing to bet you are not pretty! (jk)
Anyway, this has been in Europe ever since it was introduced.. Atleast in Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary as well I think..
Great! Hopefully they start selling refurbs from their website soon!
I am glad apple and AT&T did that. I worked for apple during the launch of the new IPHONE and it was mess to activate them in the store. Thank you for waking up putting the customer first instead on your greedy companies.
Well, actually, yes, that is convenient.
If you don't want one and plan on coughing up the ETA, this is a way to do it and not have to bother with any human interaction.
Hell, for an existing ATT customer it'd still be $25 cheaper than buying it at the non-upgrade price.
Ohhhhhh yes!!! When I got my white 3G, it took FOUR FREAKING HOURS to activate!!! (It was launch day, BTW) I am SO glad they re-introduced this! Now I can get my friend an iPhone 3G gift card, she can go pick one up at the local Apple Store, and then activate it from the comfort of home.
Thank you AT&T for being reasonable (for once)! =D
On launch day, I was first to get the phone and the ATT store gave it to me unactivated. Told me to go home and plug it in to activate it. I don't know why this is a big deal is I was able to do it on launch day.
totally wrong Engadget.
when you buy the phone in store they set up the account, sign the contract etc. just like before. and while an ATT store might unwisely let you walk out without the itunes connection the Apple stores don't. because they want to make sure the phone works when you leave. I upgraded a line and my first iphone had a dead pixel on the screen when they hooked it to itunes. so they swapped it on the spot.
when you buy from ATT online you do the same set up of your account, agree to the contract etc. the only difference is that you have to wait a day or so for the phone to actually arrive and with luck, activate in itunes without issue. and if you are porting a number you will be without a working cell phone while you wait.
but it is NOT like the first go around when you bought a blank uncommitted phone and had no contract etc. allowing for ease of unlocking without an ETF etc.
Still no full price? How is one suppose to give this phone as a gift?
oh well... we can do this the easy way or the hard way...
You're suppose to give "iPhone Gift Cards" now:
http://store.apple.com/us/personalize/iphone?product=MB891LL/A&mco=MjQxODg1NA
You can't (or shouldn't), except to members of your own family, due to the amount of personal information required to order one for in-home activation. Not to pull views from engadget (hence I won't post the link), but Appleinsider's article on in-home activation returning has slightly better analysis of this very gripe.
@ran
Which that means nothing, since the person receiving the gift card must go and pick up the iPhone afterward (and if I'm not mistaken, the 'iPhone' gift cards are only accepted at Apple Stores... hopefully I'm wrong). Wouldn't you rather having it under the tree, ready to be connected to iTunes for activation/contract signing? I would.
Last year, one could buy the first-gen *for anybody* as a gift and never have to talk to AT&T about activating it, signing contracts, and getting a data plan (all this was done via iTunes).
There's still no prepaid/non-commitment options, and that saddens me. I'm honestly thinking buying a HK iPhone sounds better and better everyday.
What's an ETF ?
Estimated Time of Failure
I'm guessing it stands for Early Termination Fee, but maybe it means Engadget Trout Fillet.
Early Termination Few? I'm guessing.
Fee... stupid fat fingers.
Early
Treachery
Fee
as in buy iPhone for $199, wait 31 days then turn on AT&T and cancel...
StalematE wins.
"Fee... stupid fat fingers."
That's what she said...
How much is the ETF?
You know what I do when I don't know an acronym? I use Wikipedia.... Then I don't look stupid, and it makes me appear as a knowledgeable person. For the same reason, blogging is easy.
You know what I do when I don't know anything? I use Wikipedia.
ETF= Early Termination Fee
Weird stuff, why wasn't that before?
In The Netherlands home activation is the only way. You sign your contract and walk out the store with the box still sealed. You can even order online and have it send to you together with the contract sim.
The only reason Apple allowed home activation is because they don't really care now about people hacking iphones and because they don't want to make an unnescessarily hard experience for people who've chosen iPhone over Storm and G1's.
They forced you to activate them in the stores before because all the unlocking software released during the first iPhone release made it possible to basically buy a bunch of iPhones, unlock them, and sell them on Ebay. They even stopped letting people here buy them with cash. Those same people then got smart and started buying them using gift cards.
Now that pwning software is easily available and iphone is offered in more countries, it isn't a big deal now.
You've always been able to activate them at home.
If one was to steal a BUNCH of sealed Iphone 3G's if they put in a at&t sim and plug it into itunes it will unbrick the phone.
that means u need to have the phone for one month or more on AT&T to cancel,or just pay the phone and ETF???
Its true...queues were shorter in the UK!
Yes sir-eee, and they'll be even shorter now. I see that the PAYG iPhone 3G costs £350.
No surprise here, esp. in light of the news that the phones were coming to WalMart.
Does it even matter anymore? The iPhone is available in so many countries, when unlocking the device via software does become possible, most folks will only unlock just to have the ability to use it on another network. They will likely activate with their home network first.
Uh. Wrong. It is buy online pick up at store. They do not ship it to you. Follow the link trail back to the original story at gadgetell.
kthx
no they will ship it to you but the contract is already set up. it's not the blank phone of 2007.
what you are thinking of is the 'start at home' where you can put in all your personal details and not have to recite them to the person at the store, which on those little keyboards is annoyingly slow.
Crap! Now they're gonna be sold out when I'm finally eligible for an upgrade tomorrow!
I can't order online for my wife and myself: "only one iPhone per household can be ordered online."
You order online and it's mailed to you. I just tried and my order is being process.
It made me pick a 2 year contract with the order, give a credit card number and SS# for the credit check. If the order is placed before 2pm it will ship for deliver the following day.
FIRST!!!!!!!!¡¡¡!!!!!!!!
Reasons why I'm low-ranking you:
1. The only reason you want to be first is so you can show off your username.
2. You're not first.
3. Your username
I was wondering how it might work if Wal-Mart was to sell the iPhone... Now they just have to sell the hardware. I stopped paying attention if that was a rumor or confirmed, btw, and so if it's been refuted, disregard my comment.
So we can pay $199 and order the iPhone online and can get it shipped to our homes...?
That would be great !!
This is low key?
http://www.att.com/
I can't seem to order two iphones and a family plan on the att site this way.
When I select the first iphone, the family plan optino forces selection of a second phone....but the iphone isn't one of the options.
AT&T FAIL?
Thank you for your patience! An AT&T sales representative will be with you shortly.
You are now chatting with Kathlean, an AT&T sales representative.
Kathlean: Welcome to AT&T online Sales support. How may I assist you with placing your order today?
xxxxxxxx: Hi! I can't seem to order 2 iphone 3Gs with a family plan...
xxxxxx: when i select the family plan, i'm prompted to add a 2nd phone...however, the iphone isn't in that list
Kathlean: I am reading your question and will be right with you.
Kathlean: Hello, I am happy to help you.
Kathlean: At this time the iPhone is only available for one per household.
xxxxxx: via online ordering / home activation?
xxxxxx: what if i went into an AT&T store, or Apple store? Could I get two that way?
Kathlean: That is online, yes, I am sorry I didn't state that.
Kathlean: Yes, you may do that in a store.
xxxxxx: OK, not problem. Thanks for your help!
LOL
http://planet-iphones.com/wp-content/filez/upload/iphonewalmart121108.png
"While visiting his local Walmart, our very own Allen was able to snap a few photos of the upcoming pricing arangement for the iPhone. Allen’s friend who works at Walmart gave him a premium peak at this upcoming ad and told him it is sure to come. This photo shows very clearly when and how much the iPhone 3G will be selling for right after christmas time. Just a little authentic glimpse of what is about to happen."
(http://planet-iphones.com/2008/12/11/allen-gets-a-closeup-of-the-walmart-iphone-prices/)
-Planet-iPhones
And, as you can see in the picture, there's gonna be a $550 iPhone without a contract....
sorry but I can't believe that they would let Walmart play by different rules than even the Apple stores have to follow.
didnt they make it unlawful to charge ETF in california?
not all at. it is only illegal to have a flat rate ETF. the companies claim they are paying all or some of the cost of the phone in exchange for the contract through which you pay back that cost a little each month. the ETF is supposed to cover what you didn't pay.
but if you paid off part of that cost each month then there is no way that the leftover is the same one month is as X months later. so you'd end up being overcharged in effect.
so now they have to reduce the ETF a little each month.
Does that mean that they will sell the 3g iphone online finally? Having to go to the store is horrible
YES! now I can use my mom's social to get an Iphone!!!!!
Here's an idea Apple, why don't you just sell the iPhone unlocked? No need for this kind of hassle in the first place. You're doing it in some countries already. I still don't understand why people in the US love paying for locked phones.
ATT paid part of the R&D costs for the phone. that's why they got the contract. there will be no officially unlocked phone until that cost is paid back.
lucas: How did you know that AT&T paid part of the R&D of the iPhone? I don't see that being mentioned anywhere (Apple was simply shopping for providers, and AT&T was the first one that agrees with Apple's revenue sharing). Obviously Americans love paying money for locked phones, since on the markets that don't (Hong Kong, Singapore, for example), Apple is selling the iPhone unlocked out of the box, even if it's under contract.
I don't get the significance. You update your firmware, then pwn the phone with quickpwn. It's activated, jailbroke and unlocked. AT&T and apple are out of the loop.
What happens if you buy the iphone online and donot activate it on att?
your contract and line are set up before they ship the phone. so all you are doing by not activating is sitting there not using a phone you are already paying for.
As the post mentioned, I think AT&T will give you a time limit to activate the phone. Who knows what would happen after that (presumably you just have to call AT&T/go into the store to do activation the previous way).
As an owner of a pwnd iPhone 2G, my question is thus:
1. Is an unlock available (yeah, I know, being a partner in the largest unlock seller for the 2G iPhone I should know this but I don't)?
1b. Yes, I know, 1700 MHz is T-Mobile's 3G network so the iPhone 3G won't be 3G unless it's on AT&T.
2. QuickPwn turns an unactivated iPhone 3G into an activated one, correct?
3. What's "full price" on the iPhone? $199/$299 + first month of service + $200 ETF? Not that bad, albeit one-month-of-service-minus-tax-on-4200 more expensive than the 2G iphone of similar stature.
They are Brand New, Unlocked, Original, Full accessories and come with
1 yr International waranty from the Manufacturer
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic...........$300
SAMSUNG I900 Omnia...............$350
SAMSUNG I8510 innov8 8gb..........$280
NOKIA N96 16 GB................$300
SONY ERICSSON x1....$300
Sony Ericsson C905 ....$350
HTC TOUCH DIAMOND........$350
HTC TYTN ....$290USD
Nokia 97...........$300
Apple iphone 8GB 3g ...........$350
Apple iphone 16GB 3g..........$400
BlackBerry Bold 9000....$350
BlackBerry 9500....$360
Apple iphone 8GB...........$280
Apple iphone 16GB..........$320
Sony Ps3 .....................$300
Nokia E71.....................$300
Nokia N85 ...................$280
Nikon D3 ....................$1300
Here is our Contact
Email: electronicsmobileplaza1@googlemail.com
Legit Forum Seller Registration No:TN047635623