How to activate iPhone 5 via cellular connection

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Level 1

8 points

How to activate iPhone 5 via cellular connection

Within our company we have opened the choice for iPhones and have a strong wifi policy which does not allow access without certificate.

Users receive their new iPhone and now the choice to select the mobile carrier via 3G to activate is not popping up. The only option they get is Wifi or iTunes.

I have seen it working via cellular/3G, but why does this option not always show up?

How can we avoid that users will have to go on Wifi first, whereas they already have a simcard with 3G working?

iPhone 5, iOS 6

Posted on Sep 5, 2013 12:20 PM

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Answer 1

UnDutchable Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 6, 2013 3:13 AM in response to UnDutchable

@Modular747:

Maybe you have missed the user manual of Apple:

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iphone_user_guide.pdf

page 13:

Setting up and activating iPhone

To set up and activate iPhone, turn on iPhone and follow the Setup Assistant. The Setup Assistant steps you through the setup process, including connecting to a Wi-Fi network, signing in with or creating a free Apple ID, setting up iCloud, turning on recommended features such as Location Services and Find My iPhone, and activating iPhone with your carrier. You can also restore from an iCloud or iTunes backup during setup.

Activation can be done over a Wi-Fi network or, with iPhone 4S or later, over your carrier’s cellular network (not available in all areas). If neither option is available, you need to connect iPhone to your computer running iTunes for activation.

And during the setup the question comes up to unlock the simcard with the pin and you see in the activation screen top left already network coverage.

So yes, I have thought about it already.

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Answer 2

Sep 8, 2013 6:47 PM in response to UnDutchable

Hello, is it solved..?? Have you been able to activate iphone using "cellular connection"..?

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Answer 3

Sep 5, 2013 2:10 PM in response to UnDutchable

Then get your information from the YouTube videos. I'm not involved in any decision by Apple to include or not include an option that only you seem to be requesting.

This isn't a debate. You asked a question and I gave you the answer. If You prefer the incorrect information, you should hold the creators of the YouTube video accountable for that.

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Answer 4

UnDutchable Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 5, 2013 2:20 PM in response to UnDutchable

Just reading the Apple iPhone 5 user manual again:

Activation can be done over a Wi-Fi network or, with iPhone 4S or later, over your carrier’s cellular network (not available in all areas). If neither option is available, you need to connect iPhone to your computer running iTunes for activation.

So why does it sometimes show up and other times not although being in the same location!!!

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Answer 5

UnDutchable Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 5, 2013 2:40 PM in response to KiltedTim

Vodafone Netherlands with the live.vodafone.com APN programmed om the simcard. The simcard does work in other iPhones so we know it is not the sim or priceplan.

The question for the AppleId is even not popping up as the activation can't move forward without the wifi or itunes activation.

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Answer 6

modular747

Level 6

19,684 points

Sep 6, 2013 12:58 AM in response to UnDutchable

How could it even be possible to activate any cell phone using a cell data network when the entire purpose of activation is to enable connecting to cellular networks. The phone would have to already be activated to connect to a cellular network!! Think about it....

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Answer 7

Sep 6, 2013 3:20 AM in response to UnDutchable

Hello Everyone,

I will share my thoughts to you guyyzz regarding this activation of iPhone.

First of all please understand that there is 3 ways to activate a iPhone

1. Via iTunes

2. Via Wifi

3. Via Cellular Connection

Most of the users activate thier iphone using itunes or through wifi.

Now regarding the "cellular connection" activation, is something with utilize the sim card cellular data to complete the activation.

The option will be available only after 2-3 minutes.

As usual setup will ask for active wifi connection for completing activation, at that time, if you are planning to activate the phone using cellular connection, hold for couple of minutes., a new option " cellular connection" will be available for activation in the bottom.

Most Apple executives recommend activation using iTunes, as its most stable and there will not be server lag / other issues while activation.

I personally recommend activation using "iTunes"

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Answer 8

UnDutchable Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 6, 2013 3:35 AM in response to UnDutchable

Aha, that is an interesting answer. I will try this asap and see if indeed the delay will be the solution. thanks.

And yes I understand the reasoning of the iTunes and wifi, but we have choosen not to open wifi without two factor authentication and certificate for any device and are not willing to install iTunes on our standard image due to the fact that also multimedia files will decrease our storage capactiy and backups.

But let's see if indeed the delay is the solution.

Thanks,

Bart

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Answer 9

UnDutchable Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 6, 2013 12:50 AM in response to UnDutchable

This option should be available, but does not pop up. So it is there, weird....

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Answer 10

Sep 5, 2013 12:29 PM in response to UnDutchable

The original configuration of an iPhone requires WiFi access. There is no other way to perform the original configuration.

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Answer 11

UnDutchable Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 5, 2013 2:02 PM in response to Dirty Vegas

I have seen youtube videos showing the option cellular below the wifi during the activation process. So how or when will this be option available?

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Answer 12

KiltedTim

Level 10

230,616 points

Sep 5, 2013 2:27 PM in response to UnDutchable

Who is the carrier? Is the account properly provisioned for the iPhone, including the data plan?

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Answer 13

KiltedTim

Level 10

230,616 points

Sep 5, 2013 2:47 PM in response to UnDutchable

Sounds like you need to contact Vodafone. Just because it works in an iPhone does not mean the account is properly provisioned for an iPhone.

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Answer 14

KiltedTim

Level 10

230,616 points

Sep 6, 2013 2:54 AM in response to modular747

No, beginning with iOS 5, it became possible. So long as the SIM being used is already active and you have a 3G data connection, it should work.

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Answer 15

UnDutchable Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 9, 2013 2:51 AM in response to zaheenhafzer

I just got the feedback that with an iPhone 4 it is not possible to acitvate via cellular connection. Later today I will get the feedback from an iPhone 5 activation. and hope that will work.

Bart

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