AT&T Store COULD NOT Activate new iPhone 3G... Sent home to activate!

[BuddyTronic]

went to apple store at 5am, got in...bought the phone with ease...when to activate, froze up. they sent me home and now i'm on my MacBook trying to sync and getting the (-4) error every single time.

looks like we're all in the same boat (for the most part).

Yay! My phone seems to be working as of just a few moments ago!

I got a few text messages from Rogers, and blammo, it's activated! Seems to have nothing to do with iTunes - it's like it was done remotely maybe?

BUT - still nogo with iTunes 7.7 strangely. -4 error

Probably this means that iTunes is overloaded, and somehow my iPhone was activated wirelessly perhaps? Or is that a stretch?



Let me play for a sec on this and I'll tell you if I can find anything.

 

[robbiemccarthy]

sim swap?

Is anyone on here with activation trouble migrating over from an old iPhone? I put my old SIM card in the 3G phone (it was a 3G compatible card) and the new phone is dialed in and making calls, as well as blazing internet w/o WiFi. Although I still get itunes error-4, I can at least use my phone as a... well... phone! So when the iTunes traffic problems are fixed, i will put my new sim card in and activate it, but I need my phone for work today, so everything looks great! I'm not sure, however, how the billing will work for AT&T for this. I assume that, since no registration is needed, that the billing will stay the same. Somebody else want to try this and tell me how it goes?

Robbie

 

[Jonathan234]

My Itunes fully up and running!

Just now worked!

 

[mjritter]

Just now worked!

I'm up in Carmel, IN--with still no luck. Were you at the Keystone store?

 

[MVPinFLA]

Still no access in South Florida

 

[madpsintst]

Let's see:

New version of iTunes
New version of iPhone software
iPhone 3G activations from AT&T and Apple Stores

Looks they they've got their hands full today...

Don't forget about Apple's launch of MobileMe (http://www.me.com) yesterday. That service is still not working. Apple has truly dropped the ball on this big launch. I waited in line with a group of iPhone buyers outside a Rogers store in Canada. Some had been there since 5:30 am. The store opened at 10:00, but by 2:00 pm only 2 iPhones had left the store due to Apple's non-functioning activation servers.

 

[Chef Medeski]

I waited in line starting at 5:30am, and finally got home now. It's 1:00pm. My phone isn't activated yet. I'm having the iTunes Store error thing. I am exhausted. Just too tired to be as furious as I should be.

Rogers, kiss my ass.
Apple, kiss my ass.

LOL! Me too and I didn't even get it at that store. I went to 3 different stores and only got home 4 minutes ago. Bricked. Its really torture, but atleast I didnt have to sit around the store anymore. I know the other Fido store were still holding people, uselessly, causing them to only get through a person an hour. They had 50 iPhones but just don't have time to sell it, lol!

Atleast I got a free umbrella.

 

[EngBrian]

My buddy in Canada was finally able to activate about an hour ago. He still couldn't sync with his mac but being able to use the phone is still a step in the right direction. A glimmer of hope...be persistent I suppose.

 

[dccorona]

Your username is... intriguingly appropriate.

Did they make you sign up for the plan at the store? Or are you truly without a plan? If they sent you home without a plan, you, my friend, have an untraceable iPhone. Unlock that puppy.

they have a record of the sale with his serial number
if that serial number isnt activated on att in 30 days, he gets nailed with charges

 

[havenhamilton]

it finally worked for me about 30 min ago. once it loaded it was very quick

 

[datboitom]

I'm still stuck with the (-4) error which is really annoying because I waited for 6 hours and have been trying to activate it for 5 hours. I can still use the phone for every other purpose other than calling people...

 

[ramlam]

got activated

yeah just got activated in LosAngeles

 

[Dammit Cubs]

so i'm confused

am i suppose to use the new sim card in the iphone. Or use the old sim card from my first gen iphone? Both are 3g compatible.

 

[MVPinFLA]

Mine just started working in South Florida. Thank goodness. I just left it plugged in to my laptop and Presto!

 

[BuddyTronic]

it finally worked for me about 30 min ago. once it loaded it was very quick

Me Too - synched up to the mac and did the online registration

All Good!

Downloaded fitty bucks of games and stuff - Caissa Chess is Nice! Motoracer has good driving interface.

Good Luck Guys!

 

[ebrunn]

Got mine today, told them not even to try to hook it in to iTunes, so I just brought it home unopened. Now when I try to connect it into iTunes I get a "There is a problem with your iPhone" message. Phone works fine, can make calls and get texts, but I cant sync it. Anybody else get this message?

 

[datboitom]

Does anyone have the same problem as me? I can use the phone, like the main screen shows up and I've been adding applications. I got a message at first on the phone saying it couldn't connect to a network or get activated. I'm still trying to get it activated because I need to make calls but I just get the (-4) error.

 

[queshy]

Synced. Well done, Apple for getting this sorted out pretty quickly.

 

[lesliegolf]

Does anyone have the same problem as me? I can use the phone, like the main screen shows up and I've been adding applications. I got a message at first on the phone saying it couldn't connect to a network or get activated. I'm still trying to get it activated because I need to make calls but I just get the (-4) error.

Yes. I am there as well. And, my phone is yellow. I try to collect as many issues as once!

 

[ColinATL]

I got the strange text message and am now able to do everything (phone, app store, etc.) except sync with iTunes.

Oh yeah, got to my local Apple Store at 7am, was number 70 or so in a line that eventually stretched over 250. Did not get IN to the store until after 11am. Was able to purchase our phones and then got sent home and have since been unable to activate with the iTunes store. Nevertheless, happy about the text message activation, whoever made that happen.

My impression is that AT&T got their act together, but Apple f-ed up royally.

 

[datboitom]

I camped out at around 3:30 AM and waited about 6 hours to get mine, I've been trying to activate it for about 5 hours now and still no go... the phone just says no service at the top where the bars should be and of course error with the itunes...

 

[Tapdawg]

I got it to work finally... I just closed itunes completely while my iphone was attached to the computer and then reopened it and it worked!

Try it.

 

[datboitom]

yes turning itunes off and on works, i'm activating now

 

[Dammit Cubs]

So i finally got it to work. First, The sim card that comes in the new iphone is the one to use as the old seems to be disconnected.

I took Gizmodo advice but with a twist:

You first get a person to send you a text.

Then once you get the error. Click okay and wait for about 20 minutes. then click to another section of itunes (maybe your song list) then click back to phone to re-initiate the connection to itunes servers and then it should work.


I already tested my 3g connection. Using DSL reports mobile which runs 10 tests.

edge: 111 kbps
3g: 1101 kbps

 

[aristokrat]

Yeah, everybody just keep trying. I don't think the servers are down, they are just full (I wouldn't be surprised if the weak link is neither Apple nor AT&T separately, but their sales-to-activation communication). Mine randomly connected to iTunes during one attempt, and it activated in a snap. They're probably just denying connections so as to keep things manageable on their end, like a switchboard operator.

I didn't have to quit iTunes, I used 7.7 on a Mac, I didn't have to unplug my phone. Just click off the iphone tab in the iTunes sidebar and then click back on it and it will re-initiate connection. It will slip through at some point.

And to the screamer on the previous page:
Caps lock may be cruise control for cool, but you still have to steer.