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Some users experiencing errors activating iPhone X units, Apple assigns blame to wireless carriers

There might be a hiccup for some users when it comes to activating their new iPhone X devices.

A number of users have reported that the iPhone X isn’t completing the first step of connecting and thus activating through their wireless carrier.

The error message they’ve received has read as follows:

“Your iPhone could not be activated because the activation server is temporarily unavailable. Try connecting your iPhone to iTunes to activate it, or try again in a couple of minutes.”


Verizon says that the iPhone X models it sold didn’t have this issue. Meanwhile, an AT&T spokesperson said some of its customers ran into this issue, but that the carrier fixed it. Some have tweeted that the issue was resolved by calling their carrier’s tech support hotline. Then, the iPhone X could be manually activated by the carrier’s customer service representative. Other customers could activate by swapping in an old SIM card.

Apple’s has tweeted that this is an issue with the carriers and advised users to take the following steps:

If you can‘t activate your iPhone
If your iPhone can’t be activated or an alert says the activation server is unavailable or the SIM card is unsupported, learn what to do.

Check these things first

If your iPhone uses a SIM card, make sure that the SIM card is in your iPhone. Even without an active contract, your iPhone might need the SIM card to activate.
If an error says, “No SIM” or “Invalid SIM,” learn what to do.
If asked to sign in with an Apple ID during activation, learn about Activation Lock.
Still need help? Use the next section.

Follow these steps

Check the list on the System Status page. If the box by iOS Device Activation isn’t green, try to activate your iPhone later.
If asked to enter your password as you activate your iPhone, enter the password. (A password prompt means that Activation Lock might be enabled in Find My iPhone.)
Restart your iPhone.
If you’re using a cellular data connection, connect to a reliable Wi-Fi network instead.
If you still can’t activate, here’s how to activate your iPhone through iTunes instead:
Make sure that you have the latest version of iTunes.
Check that your computer has an Internet connection.
Open iTunes on your computer. With the cable that came with your iPhone, connect your iPhone to your computer.
Wait while iTunes detects and activates your iPhone:
If iTunes shows, “Set up as New” or “Restore from Backup,” it means that iTunes activated your iPhone.
If an error in iTunes says that the SIM card isn’t compatible, contact your carrier.

Get more help

To check for network or activation issues and see if you need to replace your SIM card, contact your carrier.
Use recovery mode to restore your iPhone.
If restoring your iPhone still doesn’t work, contact Apple Support.

Please let us know if you’ve experienced this issue on your end.

Via The Mac Observer and Apple