AT&T Struggling to Meet iPhone 4S Activation Demands

[Michael Essany]

Similar to the frustration experienced this week by users struggling to upgrade heir iDevice to iOS 5, AT&T has seemingly caught the same disease that Apple' servers were afflicted by on Wednesday. As of this writing, the activation demands incumbent on AT&T this morning (the first day of availability for the iPhone 4S) are such that countless users are reporting the inability to have their new device activated through AT&T.

In the last few hours, we've heard from countless readers who have personally experienced this problem with AT&T. If the iPhone 4S is your first iDevice, the sputtering activation servers may be a new phenomenon to you, but they aren't for the rest of us. The first day of availability for new iPhones have a long history of rocking AT&T's activation servers. And such is the case yet again today.

Given that better than one million iPhone 4S units have already been sold in under a week, it is almost incomprehensible to understand the degree of pressure now placed on AT&T to get all those devices (or at least the carrier's share of then) up and running today. What's more likely to happen, however, is that which we saw when iOS 5 dropped on Wednesday. Although AT&T may not be able to activate your device today, perhaps as traffic slows tomorrow and into the weekend, there should be no problem getting your iPhone 4S up and running.

It should be noted that AT&T is not alone in its activation woes today. Carriers around the world - including Japanese carrier Softbank - is experiencing similar glitches in the wake of overpowering server demands.

[iphoneadam]

When will they ever learn, considering its the 5th massive anticipated release of an iPhone and these tech giants of billions in net worth cant seem to be able to anticipate a basic economic standard of SUPPLY & DEMAND!

[danielwayne666]

One would think that after experiencing this issue year after year, someone could come up with a solution for it!!

[Greatbiguns]

Insane!! Just got off the phone with att support, was on for literally over 4 and a 1/2 hours......
One phone was shipped and one was backordered (even though both were ordered at the same time Friday morning at 4AM. When I called earlier this week worried about what I saw online, I was told "not to worry that both would come" and of course, only one arrived!!
Told today that it would arrive tomorrow, however it is still showing online as backordered and no shipping details. I mean REALLY? We've been doing this for three years and this is the outcome? I guess I am a little slow coming to this but att SUCKS....... They make mistakes and we have to just take it. That is NOT cool...

[IphoneReaper]

Thankfully there is wifi and skyp so that your first iPhone on the block also can be first to make a call As the first day of availability always goes crazy.Can wait to get a new 4S and sell it when the community gets us Siri on the iPhone "4"

[lkailburn]

*shrug, no problems here in CO. Canceled my preorder from apple and walked right into an AT&T store at 9:30 and was out in 15 minutes. On it right now replying.

-Luke

[Poseidon79]

I've been trying to activate for over 2 hours. GRR [insert mad face here]

*shrug, no problems here in CO. Canceled my preorder from apple and walked right into an AT&T store at 9:30 and was out in 15 minutes. On it right now replying.

-Luke

Most of the preorder phones had not been delivered by then. The problems are increasing exponentially as more phones get delivered by UPS and FedEX throughout the day.

[thetoothfairy]

Pre ordering was a mess... took me a little over two hours to get my order through, received my iPhone 4s today at 10:00 a.m. today and its now 1:52 p.m. and still trying to activate it. AT&T should be more than prepared for times like this.

[Greatbiguns]

*shrug, no problems here in CO. Canceled my preorder from apple and walked right into an AT&T store at 9:30 and was out in 15 minutes. On it right now replying.

-Luke

So? Is it like they say? For those of us that haven't been delivered to yet is it worth the wait? Are you enjoying it?

[dboone21]

Probably doesn't help that I keep retrying the activation over and over like everyone else. 100,000 people can't activate the first time, so they try over and over - its like a million activations for just 100,000 people...

[Poseidon79]

For a while I was trying it plugged in through iTunes but then Apple's servers started to time out before I even got to the AT&T activation part so now I'm back to direct AT&T activation over WIFI. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease work soon.

[Venom1234]

This is beyond frustrating I am almost ready to chuck this phone across the room.

[z6joker9]

This happens every release day, guys... if you want to be an early adopter, get used to it.And there are plenty of Verizon and Sprint people having trouble activating for hours too. Mashable just reported on AT&T, since they started having trouble first (given, they have more iPhone users than the other two combined).AT&T stores don't seem to be having trouble activating. Even my buddy at a non-AT&T retail location says they can activate the ones they are selling.

[Yonodactyl]

Thankfully there is wifi and skyp so that your first iPhone on the block also can be first to make a call As the first day of availability always goes crazy.Can wait to get a new 4S and sell it when the community gets us Siri on the iPhone "4"

Not possible to port it(legally). It's piracy. Check MuscleNerds tweets

[aimetti]

Has anyone tried to swap sims and upgrade on another line?I havent bothered to mess with it yet but i upgraded another line on my plan and want to swap as mine. However it shows up as the phone # to activate (which is wrong) even if i swap the sim card.

[thetoothfairy]

Poseidon79 I have been trying both ways as well.... Anyone having this problem with Verizon or Sprint?

[Venom1234]

Has anyone tried to swap sims and upgrade on another line?I havent bothered to mess with it yet but i upgraded another line on my plan and want to swap as mine. However it shows up as the phone # to activate (which is wrong) even if i swap the sim card.

You got to get it activated first then call at&t once it's activated and tell them you want to use the iPhone on your other line and they'll ask for the IMEI number.

[lkailburn]

So? Is it like they say? For those of us that haven't been delivered to yet is it worth the wait? Are you enjoying it?

so far so good. siri is pretty fun to play with, new camera and features are great. and it is definitely quicker than my phone when you hold them side by side and perform the same tasks.

-Luke

[NiteStar]

I called up AT&T directly and activated my phone in about 2 minutes. It was around 12:30 EST, so I'm guessing I was either extremely lucky or the earlier problems yinz had were fixed. I love this new phone, but I can't wait until I jailbreak it. I miss SBsettings among other things. lol

[aimetti]

You got to get it activated first then call at&t once it's activated and tell them you want to use the iPhone on your other line and they'll ask for the IMEI number.

ya wont that wipe out my other lines SIM card tho?