More iPhone 3G Activation Details Emerge - One Day to Launch

With the iPhone 3G one day before its official release at Apple retail stores and AT&T, more details regarding the process of activating the device have surfaced on the web. Reportedly, customers must determine their own eligibility for an upgrade.

AppleInsider says that the build number of iPhone Software 2.0 on iPhone 3G units is '5A345.' The model number of the 8GB iPhone is 'MB709LL,' the source adds.

Activating your new device, as previously noted, will take less than 15 minutes (if everything goes smoothly). The process that uses a modified version of the iTunes application will allegedly take less than 30 seconds, while the credit check and remainder of the whole deal (including picking a plan) take 5 minutes each.

However, Apple staffers will not be able to tell whether an existing non-iPhone AT&T customer is eligible for the upgrade before beginning a new iPhone 3G purchase transaction, AppleInsider points out. Customers will have to determine this on their own, based on the amount of time remaining on a current contract and payment history. If unsure, they can still upgrade to iPhone 3G at Apple retail stores. With the transaction underway, Apple's EasyPay systems will tap AT&T's account database and confirm the price. Customers might also have their existing rollover minutes reset to the number of monthly minutes included with their new iPhone 3G plan.

Speaking of which, it seems AT&T's 4,000-minute ($259.99) or 6,000-minute ($359.99) FamilyTalk plans will not be very popular. Instead, AT&T is betting on customers choosing the Unlimited FamilyTalk ($259.99) or a two-line FamilyTalk plan broken down into two individual plans. The only text message plan that can be shared across all FamilyTalk lines is the $30 Unlimited Text Message one.

Lastly, signing the AT&T contract that you choose will be done by means of a signature capture device. This practice will be used in both AT&T and Apple's stores.