Apparently, the iPhone can't be activated if the user lives in Puerto Rico (US). Area code 787 or 939.
Apple had a store in PR ~20 years ago. Right now there are no Apple stores here, although everyone else is here (CompUSA, Sony Store, Modernica (
http://modernicaonline.com/ ), Office Max, Radio Shack, ...).
iPhone not available in this stores, including corporate AT&T stores.
If someone from Puerto Rico is able to use or activate the iPhone let us know. Puerto Rico is included in AT&T's US coverage.
What I really want to do is use my current AT&T number, the one I have used this last 4 years. If it is not possible I will cancel the current US number (the one I used to activate my account) until it is available. I already change US address used for activation into my local address (PR).
OK, here's the deal. I am a 100% Puertorrican, living in Puerto Rico and have an active iPhone How I did it: Unfortunately, you will not be able to use a local 787 phone. Just let it GO! To activate your phone, get a friend or family to lend you their address in US. You will need to FAIL the credit check, so iTunes asks you if you prefer to have a prepaid plan instead.
The activation will proceed with your new choice and as soon as you finish it will take you to the Fund your Phone plan at ATT, which IMMEDIATELY will ask you for your address... There you type your REAL address in PUERTO RICO and your REAL payment info. I used my PR credit card without a problem.
The good: Your iphone is activated. Second, you dont have a 2-year contract. I confirm that all features work including unlimited EDGE, Visual Voicemail, Conference features, as well as all internet... 100% functional. Also, the ATT network considers PR local, so your calls to/from US/PR will count as local minutes.
The bad: 1. Prepaid plan is more expensive. 2. Your phone number will be on the area code of the US address you supply, so people calling you will be making a long distance call to a butt-ugly phone number. The only solution is to activate Call Forwarding on a local 787 phone you might have. The bad part is that you might loose caller-id functionalily because all calls will register as coming from the forwarding phone. Also, note that forwarding a cell phone number from another carrier will cost you double minutes (according to Claro, a local provider, forwarding costs the same as receiving a call PLUS making a call... So a 5 min forwarded call costs you 5 minutes incoming on your local phone + 5 minutes LONG DISTANCE CALL on your LOCAL phone PLUS 5 minutes incoming call in your iPhone.) 3. SMS is a separate fee.
This is a temporary workaround for all of you that like me got one of these babies. The best part once again is that we have no contract, so when the moment comes that finally the iPhone comes to Puerto Rico, you can switch off the old number and legally activate here, in the land of the pretty girls and great sun.
To activate forwarding, you must check your local provider...
In Claro (Verizon) it is 72# nnn-nnn-nnnn where n is the phone to forward to (your iphone). To disable, dial 73#
In PRT landlines the code is *72, wait for tone and dial the number. You must pick up the call on the other end for it to activate. *73 disables.
Most providers use the #72 or *72... Some will forward the caller-id info, others don't. In such case, your incoming calls will register as coming from your original phone # or as unavailable data.
The other question: The only legal way to fail credit check is by having bad credit 🙂 However, 999-99-9999 should do the trick.
Got mine from the Tulsa store and activated on jul 4th. Got an Oklahoma number and i'll wait till the iPhone is finally released on PR to get a local # (787). Meanwhile, whoever wants to call me must do a long distance call.
I am using my iPhone in Puerto Rico since July 3. I am using iPhone features at 100%. I had to activate with my father-in-law second home in FL. Just after the activation I was able to change my billing address from PR in AT&T's website. I was a previous AT&T customer; all I did was a "call forwarding" from my previous 787 phone into my new iPhone. Waiting if there is an update for activating 787 to keep my number. Shame for Apple not releasing the iPhone in PR, shame for AT&T for doing nothing and giving poor tech support, since they have been saying different things every time I call. Other than that, the iPhone is awesome and sync with my MacBook pro was very easy.
Can you explain me how you did it step by step or email me LizaPR76@aol.com Please I'll appreciate the info so I can activate my iphone.Thanks and hope to hear from you very soon!!!!!
1. Purchased iPhone
2. Connected with iTunes via my MacBook Pro
3. I chose option to open new account
4. Fill the form using a family or friend within the US (billing address)
5. Fill with all your personal information including email and social security #
6. Choose plan
7. Wait for verification
8. Get new number
9. Done (All of this in less than 5 minutes for me)
1. Then I went to wireless.att.com to log in into my account using my new phone #
2. I changed my billing address in Puerto Rico
That's all. I am using the iphone with US area code. I can use my iPhone in the meantime. I know it should be available to PR sometime this coming weeks or months. I contacted AT&T today to change phone number to be used with 787 area code, they told me I have to do that in an AT&T store.
Apple, please correct the iTunes activation process!
Has anybody tried changing your phone at the AT&T website? It's just a description in your account but, who knows, it may trigger a flag allowing the 787 activation... just a very wild guess.
Is this the hottest topic under its category? If you just landed here, keep posting. Maybe we can get a reaction. It does not make any business sense not to allow a current AT&T US market to activate the device we've already bought.
Are suggesting that we should give it up and accept the second-class treatment? Not my style. I am a first-class customer. The Co. will take notice and MAYBE does something before originally planned. They DO read posts: Apple, please remove the non-sense block on 787 and 939 area codes.
BTW, in your last post you answered your own question. Consider marking it as answered/solved.
