Apple's iPhone 4S finally landed in the U.S. today and those who didn't pre-order the device lined up at Apple and carrier stores around the country to nab the coveted smartphone. But how did that activation process go?
Unless you want to pay almost $500 more for an unlocked iPhone 4S, the device will require a two-year contract on AT&T, Verizon Wireless, or Sprint. As buyers started powering up their new phones, some users—particularly those on AT&T—reported that the activation process was slow-going.
"Seven iPhone 4s activation attempts in a row... #ATTFail," tweeted one buyer.
"As I sit w/what is essentially a bricked 4S iPhone waiting 4 activation from AT&T, I get email from Verizon asking me 2 buy from them," wrote another.
In a statement, an AT&T spokeswoman said the company was "seeing completed activations across our servers and are moving requests through as quickly as possible. We're not seeing any widespread delays at this time, though customers may experience minor wait times as more devices are activated."
Last week, AT&T said the iPhone 4S was its most successful iPhone launch ever, with 200,000 pre-orders in the first 12 hours. In a late Friday tweet, the company said it was "on track to double single day record for activations," which may slow the activation process. "Systems continue at record levels," it said.
A Verizon spokeswoman, meanwhile, said she recently spoke with the company's head of IT and he was "seeing no issues on the activation process at all." There were only one or two tweets dealing with Verizon activation issues.
Sprint also said it "currently has no systems issues and no internal process issues that should impede device activations." At least one user was pleased with the carrier. "All set up with my new iPhone 4S. Activation with Sprint was quick and easy. Siri is a lot of fun! #CustomerHappy," tweeted one user.
In a later statement, Sprint said it "reported its best ever day of sales in retail, web and telesales for a device family in Sprint history with the launch of iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. We reached this milestone at approximately noon CT/1pm ET. The response to this device by current and new customers has surpassed our expectations and validates our customers' desire for a truly unlimited data pricing plan."
Not sure which carrier is right for you? Check out PCMag's voice and data plan comparison chart for AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. At this point, Sprint is the only carrier offering unlimited data on the iPhone.
The iOS 5 operating system, and iCloud, made its debut yesterday. For more, check out How to Get Apple's iOS 5 as well as PCMag's full review of iOS 5 and our Hands On With Apple iCloud.
For more, see PCMag's full review of the iPhone 4S and the slideshow below.