iPhone 4S activation timeout

Question

iPhone 4S activation timeout

Trying to activate my iPhone 4S, trying both twice from the device and once from iTunes, I make it through past then point of agreeing to the terms of service. I then get the following message:

Your activation is still pending. You will receive an email notification once your activation is complete.

We’re sorry. There was a problem connecting to the server. Please try again later.

Presumably Apple's servers are having the typical launch day troubles. (Why is it that Apple can't ever seem to get server stuff right?)

Two questions:

Anybody else seeing this?
Has anybody got this message, and then actually received the promised email notification about their activation being complete? I have a pretty low confidence that my activation request is really in some queue somewhere.

iOS 5, AT&T

Posted on Oct 14, 2011 8:11 AM

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Answer 1

kapil mn

Level 1

5 points

Oct 14, 2011 8:27 AM in response to Paul Cantrell

same here, I have been trying for past 1 hour every 15 minutes, same exact error message. i tried thru itunes & thru the phone directly as well no luck

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Answer 2

kapil mn

Level 1

5 points

Oct 14, 2011 8:30 AM in response to Paul Cantrell

yeah- success- just got it to work

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Answer 3

Oct 14, 2011 8:34 AM in response to Paul Cantrell

Same issues here. Heavy server traffic is completely foreseeable but this always happens. Bah.

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Answer 4

Kim77

Level 1

5 points

Oct 14, 2011 8:36 AM in response to Adam Wolkoff

Did you keep trying to activate it until it went through or did you just wait for the email that says it was activated?

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Answer 5

Kim77

Level 1

5 points

Oct 14, 2011 8:37 AM in response to Kim77

Sorry Adam that should have been for kapil mn.

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Answer 6

Oct 14, 2011 8:49 AM in response to Paul Cantrell

I'm having the same issue and have been for about an hour. Guess I'll just have to keep trying!

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Answer 7

Oct 14, 2011 8:52 AM in response to Paul Cantrell

I'm having the same issue happening. I will just have to wait for that "email". Situation normal... :-)

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Answer 8

jjforbes

Level 1

5 points

Oct 14, 2011 8:53 AM in response to Paul Cantrell

I have tried once from the phone and am now trying for the second time from iTunes and still not activated.

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Answer 9

Oct 14, 2011 8:55 AM in response to Paul Cantrell

Finally worked here too after the nth retry on the phone. Attempting every 10-20 minutes like kapil suggested seems to be the way.

I never received the promised email notification.

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Answer 10

Oct 14, 2011 9:41 AM in response to Paul Cantrell

Same here. Very frustrating. Even called Apple support; their solution? "Keep trying."

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Answer 11

Oct 14, 2011 10:30 AM in response to Paul Cantrell

@it for 2hrs now-called AT&T - done on their end (my 3S is de activated)

I HAVE NO CELL SERVICE!!!

itunes either get to a point & says there was an error 'try again later'

or 'lost connection to iTunes Store server'

I've been on terminal hold @Apple phone Serv.

Help me Steve!!!!

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Answer 12

Oct 14, 2011 10:46 AM in response to fadingsapphire

I am having the same issues for activation now for nearly 3 hours.

When to the AT&T Website and sent them an email on what I thought about this problem.

Have heard that those who went with Verizon are not having the same issues.

Complaints are hitting the Internet:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20120568-17/iphone-4s-buyers-complain-of-at-t- activation-issues/

It is the same issue that happened with AT&T with the last time the iPhone came out.

You would of thought they would have resoved this issue by now.

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Answer 13

J-Paul

Level 1

0 points

Oct 14, 2011 10:47 AM in response to Paul Cantrell

Still trying either way every ±15 minutes and still getting the same message for the last... 3 hours!

No e-mail, obviously.

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Answer 14

Oct 14, 2011 10:48 AM in response to Paul Cantrell

Same here. Been trying and trying and still the same try again issue. I've tried on both the phone and iTunes. Very frustrating.

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Answer 15

Oct 14, 2011 11:04 AM in response to live.free.love

Is everyone in here having problems with activation on AT&Ts network or are there some issues reported here with Verizon and sprint as well. I'm thinking I shoulda jumped to verizon. I'm with AT&T.

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