iPhone 4 arrives early from Apple, but activation is unavailable

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
A number of people received their iPhone 4 shipment early on Tuesday -- two days before the handset's official launch -- and managed to successfully activate the device [Updated].



One California attorney wrote on Twitter Tuesday that he received his iPhone. Gil Cabrera said he received a message that read "Your iPhone activation session has expired" upon attempting to activate the handset through iTunes.



Cabrera posted photos of the device, proving he had it in hand. But the smartphone could not be taken past a screen requiring it be tethered to a computer via USB and connected to iTunes.



"Don't be so jealous," he wrote in reply to another Twitter use. "Can't activate the damn thing!"



Update: Apple support helped the user to activate his iPhone 4. Some others have also had successful activations.



"Apple Rep just got me activated," he wrote. "Had to restart my computer (felt like I had a windows machine for a minute) and presto!"



The pictures show the same box photographed earlier Tuesday at a Walmart storehouse. The early delivery would also seem to confirm that Apple has not placed a hold on shipping as it has done in the past, suggesting that the e-mails sent out by Apple Tuesday including a June 23 arrival date were accurate, and many will receive their iPhone a day before the June 24 launch.











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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 41
    kyle76kyle76 Posts: 54member
    His picture of the box is not nearly as cool as the Wal-Mart one, which looks 3D.
  • Reply 2 of 41
    Those lucky b*stards! :P
  • Reply 3 of 41
    joe hsjoe hs Posts: 488member
    hmm, I'm not too keep on the box design; I preferred the front-facing image on the last three boxes
  • Reply 4 of 41
    smiles77smiles77 Posts: 668member
    That is some high-clarity glass! Shines like a diamond!
  • Reply 5 of 41
    arlomediaarlomedia Posts: 271member
    Serial number 1000000?



    I pre-ordered one for myself (32GB) and one for my wife (16GB) on the same day last week. Hers is scheduled for delivery tomorrow, while mine hasn't shipped yet. So there will be some jealousy around here for a while. Actually, I was looking forward to activating both and then trying out FaceTime...
  • Reply 6 of 41
    I'm real excited for this. My wife came home early and passed the fedex driver pulling down the road. I got a door tag for the shipment. Says I can pick it up after 6pm tonight. The clock is ticking so slowly now



    Ordered on ATT at 7am on the 15th, never got a confirmation because I was getting gateway errors. Called and they confirmed that the order was placed and valid. ATT site updated to show it as shipped on the 17th but the tracking number says invalid as if they didn't actually hand it off to fedex yet.



    Tracked the door tag and it brought up the correct tracking number that was totally different then what att had posted. Shows it left from TX on the 17th for delivery today on the 22nd.
  • Reply 7 of 41
    Apparently a number (subjective; unknown) of others have also received iPhone 4s, and in other cases I've read, have been able to activate.
  • Reply 8 of 41
    nickcjrnickcjr Posts: 3member
    Hopefully the cops won't come barging in to confiscate all of his electronic devices and hard drives.
  • Reply 9 of 41
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kyle76 View Post


    His picture of the box is not nearly as cool as the Wal-Mart one, which looks 3D.



    That box image looks so faded like it was printed on construction paper.
  • Reply 10 of 41
    ktappektappe Posts: 824member
    I hope he doesn't get his FedEx guy in trouble for reporting to Apple that he'd received his early. \
  • Reply 11 of 41
    zorinlynxzorinlynx Posts: 170member
    Try transferring the sim card over? Maybe that'll work...



    That's typically what I've seen done with phone upgrades anyway.
  • Reply 12 of 41
    banchobancho Posts: 1,517member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by zorinlynx View Post


    Try transferring the sim card over? Maybe that'll work...



    That's typically what I've seen done with phone upgrades anyway.



    The new iPhone uses a micro sim.
  • Reply 13 of 41
    minderbinderminderbinder Posts: 1,703member
    Some users have already been able to activate.
  • Reply 14 of 41
    kyle76kyle76 Posts: 54member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    That box image looks so faded like it was printed on construction paper.



    I hope the phone's camera takes better pictures. \
  • Reply 15 of 41
    Uh oh, an attorney received an iPhone 4 early and cannot activate. I can just see the ambulance chaser trying to figure out a way to launch a lawsuit after Apple. Ahh heck, make it class action.
  • Reply 16 of 41
    1brsfan1brsfan Posts: 5member
    I too just received my new iPhone in Portland, OR about an hour ago.
  • Reply 17 of 41
    cory bauercory bauer Posts: 1,286member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nickcjr View Post


    Hopefully the cops won't come barging in to confiscate all of his electronic devices and hard drives.



    Lol



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jrandersoniii View Post


    Uh oh, an attorney received an iPhone 4 early and cannot activate. I can just see the ambulance chaser trying to figure out a way to launch a lawsuit after Apple. Ahh heck, make it class action.



    This is worth at least 3.7M in emotional trauma.
  • Reply 18 of 41
    "ejk"ejk Posts: 1member
    I was hoping they would redesign those.
  • Reply 19 of 41
    artseartse Posts: 27member
    Hmm, why is this box white and Mac Rumors box brown
  • Reply 20 of 41
    1brsfan1brsfan Posts: 5member
    same old earbuds and charger. Nothing new but the phone itself.
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