14 DAY TRIAL // Both Apple and AT&T have posted guides for potential iPhone 3G customers to help them see which is the closest Apple Retail Store or AT&T outlet to them. iPhone 3G will be available at over 1,800 AT&T locations across the United States, while only Apple Retail Stores will offer Personal Setup for your new 3G device.
Noting that the Apple Store is the place to be if you want to grab an iPhone 3G and benefit from a "Personal Setup" for your new device, Apple advises you to "let a Specialist help you choose your iPhone, check the network coverage where you live, select a rate plan, review the contract terms, and - best of all - activate your new iPhone in just a few minutes." As reported earlier today, it should take you no longer than 15 minutes to get in, get the iPhone, activate it, and get out.
Apple's "retail" web page lets you select the state you live in and the stores in it to see which one is the closest to where you live.
AT&T, however, has some 1,800 stores spread across the US. As such, the giant mobile carrier needed a better way to guide folks to one of the stores, requiring customers to enter their full address or ZIP Code, and an option to search within a specified distance in miles.
The carrier also notes that there are some AT&T stores that do not currently carry iPhone. "This store locator is made specifically for finding iPhone at an AT&T store. It does not, however guarantee that there will be iPhones in stock at the particular store at this time," AT&T's website reveals. "To make sure iPhone is at the store closest to you, call that store's number. If you're interested in finding the closest AT&T store to you, whether they carry iPhone or not, select Find a Store."
To purchase and activate iPhone 3G, you will need to have the following with you:
- credit card - social security number - valid government-issued photo ID - current wireless account number and password or PIN (if you're new to AT&T)
Remember to back up the contents of your old iPhone, if you own one, before purchasing the new 3G model.