iPhone 3G S Goes Live, Activation Issues Surface

The newest iteration of Apple's iPhone, the iPhone 3G S, was released on AT&T's airwaves on Friday, and it seems that a lot of users have already lined up to get their own unit, which also resulted in the appearance of the first issues. According to some customers, the main problem they faced was related to the activation of the handset, and it seems that they will have to wait a little before everything is solved.

The activation issues for the iPhone 3G S do not seem to be some sporadic problems, as a wide number of customers have reported the issue. Moreover, Apple also acknowledged the problem and, according to some of the reports around the Web, it has already sent a message to the said customers, announcing them that the activation might take as much as 48 hours.

The issues, says the company, are the result of a large number of iPhone activation volumes, and are determined by the fact that the servers cannot handle it properly. Even so, it seems that those who acquired the new iPhone 3G S will be able to enjoy the handset's features that do not require access to the AT&T network. In addition, the company also announces its customers that they will receive a $30 iTunes gift certificate.

Here is what the mail form Apple states, according to World of Apple:

Dear Apple Customer,

Thank you for your recent Apple Store order. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience caused by the delay in your iPhone activation.
We are still resolving the issue that was encountered while activating your iPhone with AT&T. Unfortunately, due to system issues and continued high activation volumes, this could take us up to an additional 48 hours to complete.
On Monday, you’ll receive an email from Apple with an iTunes Store credit in the amount of $30. We hope you will enjoy this gift and accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience this delay has caused.

Thank you for choosing Apple.

Sincerely,
Apple Online Store Team

As many of you might already know, similar problems were registered last year as well, when the iPhone 3G was launched, and when thousands of customers had to wait for hours at AT&T's stores for their handsets to be activated. For what it's worth, their patience will be rewarded, which is still a good thing.