“Apple Inc. will start selling its new iPhone at 8 a.m. nationwide on July 11 and plans to activate U.S. customer accounts with AT&T Inc. within 15 minutes,” Connie Guglielmo reports for Bloomberg.
“‘Our expectation is that in 10 to 15 minutes, you’ll be set up and ready to go,’ Ron Johnson, Apple’s retail chief, said today in an interview. Apple’s more than 185 retail stores in the U.S. each aim to handle about 100 customers an hour, he said,” Guglielmo reports.
“The iPhone 3G, which works on faster third-generation wireless networks, will also go on sale in 21 other countries on July 11, including Australia, Italy and Japan,” Guglielmo reports.
“To make sure customers aren’t buying handsets to resell overseas or modify them for use on unauthorized wireless networks, Apple will require a credit card and Social Security number so the device can be activated immediately. Apple won’t offer the iPhone 3G through its online store, Johnson said,” Guglielmo reports.
“Apple stores will handle about 30 customers at a time, Johnson said. While the company will make sure the activation process is quick, he said customers won’t be rushed,” Guglielmo reports. ‘We’ll spend as long as it takes with our customers to make sure they’re happy with the phone,’ Johnson said.”
Full article here.
I’m sure glad I already have a 1st gen iPhone. I wouldn’t wait in that line on Friday and go thru all of that red tape, that’s for sure.
You’d have to give your social security number to open an account with any carrier, so I don’t really see why everyone’s making such a stink about it. Yes, it was much better activating over iTunes, but still… I’ve never had a better phone, so an extra 10 minutes at the store seems nitpicky to me…
That makes 3 of us. I was stoked to get the new phone. The more I hear, the more I think it’s more of a pain in the ass than it’s worth for 3g and gps. I think I’ll just keep my original iPhone and install the software update. This whole process is definitely not as cool as the original.
waiting for the updated touch…..hmhmhm
iTunes activation is the best thing ever. It isn’t nitpicky to wonder why we have to go from an awesome activation method to a suck-ass activation method.
It might be an extra ten minutes, but you have to get to the head of the line first.
At that rate, it will take a few weeks before there is not a daily line at the Apple Store. I hope you can get into the store if you want to buy a Mac or something other than an iPhone.
I guess the on going lines will create a good buzz…
I can wait three or four weeks to get one. In fact, I can wait until the first big software bug fix comes out for iPhone 2.0… I waited this long (don’t have a 1G) so I can be patient.
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I don’t what the big deal is with people complaining about the lines. Wait a week (that is if you can, there was life before the microwave), and the lines should be almost non-existant . . . sure, supplies might be tight, but waiting one week to avoid the rush and crowd seems like it would be worth it.
Jay-Z: You’d have to give your social security number to open an account with any carrier, so I don’t really see why everyone’s making such a stink about it.
Having to submit to a credit check when you’re already a customer is insulting (and damaging to your credit score)
Making a good product or service worse or making a convenient procedure inconvenient is among the best reasons for making a stink, especially when the process being made less convenient is the very act of SIGNING A TWO-YEAR CONTRACT to do business together.
It’s also insulting to have to pay an $18 activation fee for the privilege of adding two more years to my contract.
This is nothing but a money grab by AT&T;
umm MDN is losing posts on this topic.
Gabriel and Jo Jo were the 1st two users to post, and they’re both gone now ….
Why is it that AT&T;has to remain the exclusive carrier for the iPhone? #$%#@! open it up, already. How is iPhone going to take over the smart phone market when its leashed exclusively to these jackasses? Also, eliminating user activation was supremely stupid. Yeah, yeah, yeah–it’s part of AT&Ts;deal. Well, the deal SUCKS.
I wish Verizon also had the iPhone, but I suppose they would want their ugly badge all over it, not too mention forcing their useless VCast crap on everyone.
The result is that the iPhone is nowhere as near as acessible as it should be. It’s about as revolutionary as Obama, i.e., not at all.
As a Brit posting from the UK, I have no idea about AT&T;’s activation fees although that, and another credit check, for people who are already customers seems a bit of a unnecessary nonsense.
As for losing iTunes activation; that’s a pity – Apple genuinely broke new ground with that step-change and now it’s gone.
But let’s be clear, it’s gone because people took phones that they were not supposed to and put them on networks that won’t supposed to have them.
When I was a kid, my mum would take away stuff if I showed I couldn’t be trusted or behave responsibly – well, this is what happens when you’re a grown-up and do the same thing. Or do we really expect AT&T;/O2/Orange/etc. to subsidise phones when they’re not going to see the benefit.
To those who think it is no big deal to hand out your social security number for identification purposes.
Papers please, or as the Nazi’s used to say,”Ihre Papiere gefallen”.
Not ‘won’t’, but ‘weren’t’!
I know I’m feeling a bit unwell, but I seem to have lost the ability to type this week.
Enough already: “The result is that the iPhone is nowhere as near as acessible as it should be. It’s about as revolutionary as Obama, i.e., not at all.”
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Or as revolutionary as Granpa McFlipflop McSame. While we’re bashing politicians, might as well be all inclusive.
On the thread of the article, if the stores are open for 12 hours, Apple is saying it can process 222,000 phones on Day#1.
Nice to know they’re “tooled up” as we say in my neck of the woods, but I’d be happy to see 500,000 go through the books of Apple’s US stores on the first weekend.
@ solid
Oh, I’m 99% sure I’m voting for Obama over McCain—I just have grave doubts that anything is going to change significantly, and I think crappy corporate America will continue to run roughshod over everyone.
Uh, oh. The ol’ Nazi reference. At this point, there is no reason to go on.
I wonder what they’ll do to Pay As You Go 1stGen owners? Will they terminate our service?
If I can get the iPhone 3G at the unsubsidized $599-$699 with them adding $10 to my data plan for 3G, that’d be cool but I doubt it will be the case. They’re going to force us to become post-paid customers. I might just get a 16gb 1stGen and continue on as planned until that godawful AT&T;exclusivity expires. And that’s if they don’t terminate my service.
I think AT&Ts;exclusivity is a real problem that keeps a lot of people from switching to the iPhone. If Apple could totally run the table, then exclusivity would not really be a concern, but AT&T;obviously has its own business interests to worry about.
I think Apple should just buy Sprint and start its own mobile data network. The OS is already married to the hardware, now just take the next step and get your own network for your hardware.
Give me a break, that credit check is going to take 5 points off of your score. Don’t give me the “insulting an existing customre” or the ” it’s going to hurt my credit score. If your credit sucks that bad you probably shouldn’t be buying a phone anyway, you should be paying someone back somewhere.
Enough already: “@solid
Oh, I’m 99% sure I’m voting for Obama over McCain—I just have grave doubts that anything is going to change significantly, and I think crappy corporate America will continue to run roughshod over everyone.”
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Unfortunately I agree with you. There are a lot of good American companies out there, but it’s the crappy evil ones that are calling the shots these days.
I’ve been reading these rants with a great deal of interest. Apple has really shot themselves in the foot with this iPhone 3G release. It sounds like Friday will be a nightmare…
…too bad God didn’t make this other day, one that comes after Friday. It would have been a great idea. It could have been called Saturday….yes, Saturday. That is a good name. It is too bad there isn’t a day called Saturday. (Seriously folks, get a frigging life…I waited for the 1G iPhone for my wife, and went to the Apple Store late Friday night for shits and walked away with an iPhone with no line. Can’t see this being any different. All of the gadget freak asshole losers will be done by Friday evening and then the regular humans can emerge and buy their phones.)
Business can not force you to give your SS#, but it also looks like they don’t have to provide you the service.
http://tinyurl.com/5cdnb2