IPhone Activation Process

Hello all:
I live in Utah, and I am going to purchase an iPhone in the next few days - w00t! I just have an important question that I'm hoping someone here can answer.
The area I'm living in now has no AT&T service, but the area I'm moving to in a few months does. The time for me to purchase iPhone and AT&T service, however, is now - due to things like contract dates and such.
My question is this:
When activating iPhone through iTunes, is the entire process handled over my internet connection or does iPhone need to "call home" to AT&T during the activation process like other phones/carriers?

AdamRichens wrote:
My question is this:
When activating iPhone through iTunes, is the entire process handled over my internet connection or does iPhone need to "call home" to AT&T during the activation process like other phones/carriers?
Yes, it needs to transmit data over the EDGE network to finish activation.

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My iphone 5 is making me complete the whole activation process over again whenever I turn it off and sometimes when I turn the screen off. Also my icloud will not connect. Help!

Basically yesterday my iphone started requiring me to go through the activation process (connecting to wifi, logging in to itunes,etc.) I have tried r

I have tried restarting it but each time it requires me to log in again.

Replacement Needed. This iphone is not able to complete the activation process and needs to be replaced. Please visit your nearest apple store or authorized service center.

Probably will never ever think of buying a locked phone from AT&T cause its one of the worst system integrations ever that these companies could think of.
The entire problem started when I put in a request with at&t to unlock my iphone 4s (ios7) which did get approved. I performed the entire instructions they asked me to do, which is to backup and restore. After doing those instructions my iphone gave me an error message below
The SIM card inserted in this iPhone does not appear to be supported.
The SIM card that you currently installed in this iPhone is from a carrier that is not supported under the activation policy that is currently assigned by the activation server. This is not a hardware issue with the iPhone. Please insert another SIM card from a supported carrier or request that this iPhone be unlocked by your carrier. Please contact Apple for more information.
Basically saying that at&t hasn't still unlocked the iphone which a really helpful apple executive was able to confirm. I initiated another unlock process from at&t in order to unlock the iphone, just to be sure that its not something wrong from my end. The nice at&t lady stayed on chat with me to unlock the iphone step my step while I was calling the apple tech too. And the apple tech confirmed again that the iphone is locked to at&t.
Now, just a few minutes ago I tried another restore to see if any progress is being made and to my surprise I got an error message saying
Replacement Needed. This iphone is not able to complete the activation process and needs to be replaced. Please visit your nearest apple store or authorized service center.
I feel like I am just going around these two different "money hogger" companies which set certain rules and regulations to screw a regular phone buyer. I purchased this iphone in USA and trying to unlock in India, is it really this hard to simply unlock a device.
For now I am going to try to call a apple office in india (apprently we don't have very many out here) and see if they can help me. But any other assistance regarding unlocking an iphone 4s would be helpful. I have however, tried checking IMEI.info, called up apple, talked to at&t (which always say go talk to apple) I do have a case number from apple as well in case an apple executive reads this discussion forum (case number: 566383594)
Thanks

You got a confirmation from AT&T that it was authorized. Is this correct? - Yes i did get an email authorization on the 21st.
Then you connected the phone to a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed. You clicked on the phone's name in iTunes, then clicked "Backup Now". - Yes
When that finished you clicked "Restore iPhone" (NOT "Restore Backup") - Yes
Are you with me so far? - Yes.
And @ Varjak is right that after the 3rd restore I get the replacement error.
Plus I have NEVER jailbroken the iPhone. To give you another update, I spoke to a really nice apple tech in India who was atleast able to get me out of the replacement error by doing a recovery mode option. However, the lastest restore still gives me the same error
The SIM card inserted in this iPhone does not appear to be supported.
The SIM card that you currently installed in this iPhone is from a carrier that is not supported under the activation policy that is currently assigned by the activation server. This is not a hardware issue with the iPhone. Please insert another SIM card from a supported carrier or request that this iPhone be unlocked by your carrier. Please contact Apple for more information.
Message was edited by: jabgars

Activation Process from Blackberry to Iphone

Has anyone ported the cell phone portion of a Verizon Blackberry to an Iphone and kept the data plan with Verizon? Are there any special steps to get this done smoothly? Would it be easier to get new blackberry service with Verizon or someone else since I'll be charged with the early termination fee when I do this?
Thanks..

Thanks for the response. I do intend to purchase the data plan with my Iphone. I'm just concerned that since my Blackberry phone number is also tied to my blackberry data plan that this will cause issues during the standard activation process..For work purposes I need to carry a blackberry so I know that I will being paying for two data plans (actually one since my employer will pay for the blackberry portion).. I just want find out if anyone has done this and the smoothest route to get my Verizon Blackberry number on my Iphone but keep my Blackberry data on the blackberry device..

HT201441 i dont know the previous user of this phone and i'm stuck on the iphone icloud activation process

i dont know the previous user of this iphone and i'm stuck on the iphone icloud activation process.
what should i do?

radhikaven wrote:
i bought this phone in 2013 from dubai and used till last year june. I dropped the phone and got a problem with display as well as earpiece.
Later the phone was having a carrier network issue. Was showing searching. i restored the phone to factory settings and when i tried to set up the phone, its showing that the phone cant be activated at this moment, please try again later.
If your phone was bought second-hand (used) - something you haven't made clear - and it was Activation Locked by the previous owner (this wouldn't show up until you upgraded or reset it) then only he can unlock it. If you can't contact him to do so then you will not be able to use the phone. You can tell if this is the case because it will be asking for an Apple ID (which it will display partially) which is not yours.
On the other hand if this was a new phone then you may have hit a temporary outage in the activation server and you should wait a bit then try again.

TS3662 please connect your iphone to a computer running iTunes to complete the activation process

please connect your iphone to a computer running iTunes to complete the activation process. what does this mean, why wont it just activate?

You answered your own question.
Question:
"what does this mean, why wont it just activate?"
Answer becasue you need to:
"connect your iphone to a computer running iTunes to complete the activation process."

HT4623 i have downloaded and installed the new ios7 software on my iphone 4s but im having trouble getting through the activation process i keep getting the message "iphone could not be activated because the activation server cannot be reached"? help??

I have downloaded and installed the new ios7 software on my iphone 4s but im having trouble getting through the activation process i keep getting the message "iphone could not be activated because the activation server cannot be reached"? any suggestions?

The activation servers are probably overloaded with everyone trying to update to iOS 7 today. You might need to wait and try again later.

Will iTunes restore feature force me to go through the setup/activation process again on my iPhone 3GS?

Will iTunes restore feature force me to go through the setup/activation process again on my iPhone 3GS?
I don't have internet at current location so this would be a huge issue as obviously I wouldn't be able to get past the connect to wifi/itunes step.

I haven't tried because if it fails I have no phone, which would be even worst.
I'm still trying to figure out whos brilliant idea it was to only allow wifi or itunes when you pay for 3G on the phone lol you'd think there would be an option to use it

Tried upgrading to new OS 5, and now itunes won't continue the activation process, what do I do?

I recently tried upgrading my iphone 4 to the new OS 5, and now itunes won't continue the activation process. It keeps say that an unexpected error has occured, Error 310. I am very frustrated and now have no phone to call apple, and there website is no help. What do I do?

Hi seth fromhollywood,
I found this in internet, I hope it helps:
Error
-310
Name
SmFHBlockRdErr
OS
Mac OS
Error Title
smFHBlockRdErr
Message
Error occurred during _sGetFHeader.
Risk Level
9
for resolution look here ...

How to fix this error "this iPad is not able to complete the activation process. Please press Home and start over. If the issue persists, please visit your nearest Apple Store or Authorized service provider for more information or replacement"?

How to fix this error "this iPad is not able to complete the activation process. Please press Home and start over. If the issue persists, please visit your nearest Apple Store or Authorized service provider for more information or replacement"? When I plugged in my iPad this popped up!

Hi csreddy,
If you are receiving a message to contact an Apple Retail Store or Authorized Service Provider for help updating from iOS 3, click on the link below to initiate that support:
Update the iOS software on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204204
Update your device using iTunes
If you can’t update wirelessly, or if you want to update with iTunes, follow these steps:
Install the latest version of iTunes on your computer.
Plug in your device to your computer.
In iTunes, select your device.
In the Summary pane, click Check for Update.
Click Download and Update.
If you don't have enough free space to update using iTunes, you'll need to delete content manually from your device.
Find out what to do if you get other error messages while updating your device.
Last Modified: Jan 12, 2015
Apple - Find Locations
https://locate.apple.com
Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201232
Regards,
- Judy

Number Portability, iPhone Activation, & Syncing *A MUST READ*

_*Phone numbers to know:*_
*AT&T Customer Service: 1.800.331.0500*
*AT&T Number Porting Department: 1.888.898.7685 (open till 11 or midnight)*
*AT&T IT Help Desk for iPhone: 1.877.419.4500*
AT&T is a LOCAL NUMBER PORTABILITY COMPANY. This means that if you have a number to port that originates in a different _*AREA CODE*_ from your current _*ZIP CODE*_ +(i.e. Phone number is Florida and you live in California)+ AT&T "normally" _*DOES NOT PORT*_ these types of numbers.
+(I was told by an AT&T representative that an exception was made for my situation because of iPhone)+
Because of this NUMBER PORTABILITY restriction iTunes will most likely have a problem activating your iPhone. Transferring your number from one carrier to AT&T should be fine through iTunes as long as you are not transferring a number from one AT&T MARKET to ANOTHER AT&T MARKET (i.e. different States).
If you are transferring your number from one AT&T MARKET to another AT&T MARKET then I highly recommend calling the AT&T number portability department. Explain your situation and don't let them tell you that it can not be done. IT CAN BE DONE! What you will need to do this type of transfer is an ADDRESS in the MARKET that your number originates in. +For example, you are from Texas and signed up for service with Verizon in your hometown. Then you move to Oregon but don't change your *_PRIMARY PLACE OF USE_ +(place where you started service. Different from billing address)+* with Verizon for whatever reason. Living in Oregon you decide that you would like to buy iPhone (You have to use AT&T) but want to keep your same phone number because it's a local call for your family and friends in Texas. So, when you call AT&T Number Portability Department to switch your number from Verizon be prepared to give them an address from Texas to start service with your Texas number and then give your current Oregon address for the billing of the service.+ This should allow your number to be transferred smoothly in a matter of 15-20 minutes. If you try to do this type of transfer through iTunes it will most likely fail.
Once you have gone through the number porting you leave iPhone on the dock to charge, finish the activation, and sync it. +TIP: After the phone has charged and synced go through a power cycle+ +(You may have to reset the iPhone for your text messaging feature to begin working).+
_*Before you connect the iPhone to the computer I would HIGHLY suggest doing the following:*_
*-Update all your contacts*
*-Update your calendars*
*-Use iphoto Buddy (FREE @ http://www.iphotobuddy.com/) to create an additional new iPhoto library just for your iPhone*
*-Create a new playlist in iTunes to organize the songs/video that you want on iPhone*
*-Clean your Mailboxes of old, junk, or deleted mail (if using Google read their support for IMAP)*
*-Clean up your Safari bookmarks*
*-If you have wireless networking at home or work find out your passwords to the network to allow iPhone Wi-Fi to connect to those networks*
Hope that you find this information helpful.

Hello Chris.
When becoming an at&t subscriber and wanting to port a number from another provider, at&t handles the entire process regardless your chosen phone.
If you contact Verizon in advance to cancel your account before becoming an at&t subscriber, and before at&t contacts Verizon to port your number, at&t won't be able to port your number from Verizon and you will lose it - having to get a new phone number with at&t.
I was formally a Verizon subscriber, and I had been a Verizon subscriber since the summer of 2001 before becoming an at&t subscriber a couple of months before the iPhone was first available at the end of June last year. I ported my number from Verizon, and at&t handled everything. I never contacted Verizon, and the last time I heard from them was when I received my final bill - along with an incentive to change my mind and come back to Verizon - which they certainly didn't offer me while I was a subscriber.
The activation process for your iPhone by at&t and at&t's request to Verizon to port your number to at&t notifies Verizon of your intent to cancel your account, so no need to contact Verizon in advance.

Who owns the activation process - Apple or Sprint?

I have a Sprint iPhone 4S with the original SIM card. the only way I've gotten it to activate is through a complete restore via DFU mode (very similar to this discussion in 2012; iPhone 4S US/Sprint unable to activate!)
An incremental update to 8.1.1 makes it ask to activate again :/
I went to my local Sprint store today and they say they can't do anything about it and that I must go to an Apple Store.
I'm trying to avoid getting bounced around here. Who "owns" the activation process? Is it Apple or Sprint?
Who ultimately correct this annoying activation behavior when it activates from a full restore?
I should not that I am not using the phone component of the iPhone and do not have a Sprint account. (for the record, I was a pretty happy Sprint customer back in the 90s... )

udance4ever wrote:
hey quick update on this front - i finally got a iPhone 5s so my 4S if officially a "glorified iPod Touch" (admittedly a good one at 64GB) - so I'm not going to bother using the phone component in it for now.
Sure a bit irked and just grateful the days of "carrier locked phones" is fading behind us more and more every day (I bought a 2nd hand Verizon 5s and a happy camper on T-Mobile - didn't have to go through any hoops!)
anyone know if I can close this thread as "no longer needs an answer" somehow?
Yeah you mark one of the responses as 'Solved My Question'.

IPhone Activation - wrong address?!

Just wanted to share my story.
My wife and I stood in line for our iPhones for almost 2 hours tonight. After getting them we rushed home to activate both of them. Needless to say we were pretty excited as we've been saving up for this day since Christmas.
We start trying to activate her phone and when we get to the part where it asks for our billing address it starts complaining that it can't verify our address. The zipcode it was suggesting was nothing like our correct zipcode. We called AT&T for support and, 2 hours and much troubleshooting later, we were told we'd be called in the morning by an AT&T rep who can help us.
Are you kidding me?! We just spent over a grand on this stuff and we have to wait till you call us back?! Apple, I expected more from you. AT&T...well I guess you met my expectations so good show.

To answer the last few posting:
1. The $630 INCLUDED tax.
2. The purchase was at an Apple Store.
3. As I mentioned in my last post. The issue is that the iTunes/AT&T activation process would not allow me to put in the old zip code. The new zip code was already linked to the street address and when this zip code was entered, it reported that the new zip code did not have cellular service. Obviously AT&T has the new zip codes in their system but does not have them yet linked to their coverage maps.
4. And yes, as I've mentioned previously postings the workaround I finally hit upon was to enter an entirely different address which would allow me to activate the phone.
The issue here is since the only known way to activate the phone is via iTunes, this is a major glitch in the system. Since there are multiple users here that have encountered this problem. Apple and AT&T need to come up with another activation solution for folks that are not as savvy to figure this out for themselves instead of passing the buck between the two companies.

UK iPhone Activation; transferring from another network

Does anyone know if the UK iPhone will have a similar facility to the US iPhone, where you can transfer a number from another network via iTunes if purchasing over-the-counter in a UK Applestore?
I've been told by an O2 rep that the only way to transfer my number from another network (Orange) is to ask them for a PAC code, go into an O2 store on iPhone release, give them the PAC code I've got from Orange, and then wait 5 days while they request the number from Orange, transfer it to my iPhone (which in the meantime will have a temporary number) and then wait 5 days for it to be activated with the transferred number.
In the US it appears that you can simply purchase a boxed iPhone, activate it through iTunes, and--as part of that process--type in your current number and it's transferred as part of the activation process almost immediately.
Do we know if it's going to work in a similar way over here, or do I really have to jump through all of O2's hoops? I have a suspicion they are only telling me this is the process as (a) they have no idea about a possible alternative, or (b) they want to make the sale rather than an Applestore.
Anyone know?

The process by which numbers can be ported from one carrier to another is very simple in the US, not just with the iPhone. If I were to walk into a T-Mobile store and want to transfer my number from AT&T to one of their plans, it would be equally easy.
If porting a number is more complicated in the UK than it is here, it's hard to predict whether the process will look the same or not.

"contacting the iphone activation server" what does it mean?

"contacting the iphone activation server" what does it mean?
its going slowly slowly slowly
why???

FORCE IPAD INTO RECOVERY MODE
1. Turn off iPad
2. Turn on computer and launch iTunes (make sure you have the latest version of iTune)
3. Plug USB cable into computer's USB port
4. Hold Home button down and plug the other end of cable into docking port.
DO NOT RELEASE BUTTON until you see picture of iTunes and plug
5. Release Home button.
ON COMPUTER
6. iTunes has detected iPad in recovery mode. You must restore this iPad before it can be used with iTunes.
7. Select "Restore iPad"...
Note:
1. Data will be lost if you do not have backup
2. You must follow step 1 to step 4 VERY CLOSELY.
3. Repeat the process if necessary.

IPhone Activation Process

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