[Cody Overcash]

You no longer have to purchase the iPhone in person at an Apple or AT&T store to get up and running and activated. The at home activation process which the original iteration of the iPhone relied on has (finally) returned.

JG Mason of Gadgetell noticed a new ad on the AT&T website to buy the iPhone 3g. Confused, Mason decided to contact the AT&T sales specialist:

jon: Hello, if I purchase the iPhone online now, will I have to take it to an ATT store for activation?
Kayla M.: Great question! I would be happy to help you with that today!
Kayla M.: No, you will be able to activate the phone yourself by placing the battery into the phone.
jon: that is a change correct? previously it wasn’t available online.
Kayla M.: Yes, that is correct. It just became available online today.
jon: wow, great. thanks. that is all i needed to know
Kayla M.: You’re welcome. Thank you for choosing AT&T. Have a great day!
jon: you too.

Uh insert battery? The iPhone has no removable battery. What is going on here? Apparently the AT&T rep had no idea what she was talking about here but one thing appears to be certain -- in home activation is now available. Mason followed up with AT&T and has received confirmation that in home activation really does exist and is available through AT&T. At the time of this writing Apple does not appear to be selling iPhones online for in home activation yet. Just AT&T.

While in home activation is great and all it does not bypass the fact that the iPhone from AT&T is still subsidized and requires a two year contract to purchase.

edit:

A further update says no in home activation. Just shipped to your house already activated after you have already signed your life away for a two year contract.

The device ships activated, but a customer must accept terms and conditions over the phone with customer care or online at att.com (which is the same process for other phones purchased online), after which he or she will simply sync the device with iTunes to use it.

[via boygenius]

[Onemajorflaw]

Well it's a step in the right direction =/

[bdwayneh]

I wonder how long before apple starts selling them online to?

[sziklassy]

so how does pricing work now?

[kmmxracer]

So I wonder if you can walk out of the Apple store with out signing a contract. Doubt it but that would be sweet.

[jackNjill]

Huh???
In home activation, meaning you can buy it for $200, then activate it at home. What if I don't activate it with att, then I don't really pay any monthly service?

[Cody Overcash]

Originally Posted by jackNjill

Huh???
In home activation, meaning you can buy it for $200, then activate it at home. What if I don't activate it with att, then I don't really pay any monthly service?

then you would have a locked to att iphone i'd guess and you would have to pay att $200 for canceling your contract which you signed so they would ship you the phone

[jackNjill]

OK, $400 total. I can handle that. I could even get ATT service, just not the iPhone plan.

[wil32]

I'm from Quebec, Canada. I just called Rogers and they told me you can order it by simply making a phone call but you have to register for a contract before receiving it. Then you activate it at home. Nothing new so far here.

[joejoe123]

there is a cheap hardware unlock so unlock am not worried about the unlock but i did see something about brand new iphones on 2.2 firmware maybe not being about to be jailbroken, is this true or false?

also if u bought the phone and never activated, cause you were going to jailreak with hardware unlock sim then why would u need to pay a termination fee.

they gave u a phoen for 200 assuming u would activate but if u dont how can they take that back. Anyone have any comments.

Thanks

[JedixJarf]

Woo!

[Atokadd]

My Hopes got Raised so much.
Ha.

In time, I hope.

[A.T]

I heard that you HAVE to give your credit card details in store when you buy the iPhone and if you don't activate it in a certain time period, you will start getting charged.

[wil32]

Give yours infos, back home make the money transfer, cancel your credit card et voila.

[slimmons1998]

Kayla M.: No, you will be able to activate the phone yourself by placing the battery into the phone.

i didn't know we could do this?