iPhone 4S Launch to Double AT&T's Record for Activations in One Day - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

iPhone 4S Launch to Double AT&T's Record for Activations in One Day

att1Following Sprint's announcement of record sales, AT&T also announced a very busy sales day. AT&T didn't break out sales totals for the iPhone, but reports it is seeing record activations.

As of 4:30 pm ET today, AT&T had already activated a record number of iPhones on our network – and is on-track to double our previous record for activations on a single day. These record volumes may produce slower activations for some customers, though our systems continue to run at record levels.

AT&T was Apple's launch partner in 2007, and the exclusive partner until Apple launched the Verizon iPhone earlier this year.

AT&T hit this record despite their activation servers having difficulties handling the unprecedented demand. iPhone 4S owners reportedly had difficulties with activations on multiple carriers, and not just AT&T.

Popular Stories

duo aquarium

More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try

Friday November 6, 2026 3:27 pm PST by
When the iPhone Duo launched, we shared a list of some of the fun apps developers created for the new form factor. Two weeks out, developers are continuing to come up with fresh ideas, so we thought we'd share some of our favorites. Games Marbles Unhinged ($2.99) - Marbles Unhinged is a marble maze designed for the Duo. When you fold it, the floor turns into a ramp. If you stand the top...
iOS 28 AI

Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28

Sunday November 8, 2026 7:42 am PST by
Apple has made a change to its development process for iOS 28, macOS 28, and corresponding software updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he said Apple separates development of each year's new operating systems into three major stages. Typically, he said each stage consists of four weeks of coding followed by a four-week "convergence" period where...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products Today

Thursday November 5, 2026 12:59 am PST by
Apple is launching five new products on Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from today: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...

Top Rated Comments

mrsir2009 Avatar
197 months ago
...And people said the iPhone 4S was a flop...
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
197 months ago
But wait, according to these forums, the iPhone 4s was a huge fail? Imagine that. It's successful as hell on every carrier.

Hmmm.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gorgeousninja Avatar
197 months ago
OPEN LETTER TO PHIL SCHILLER:

Apple is no longer a toy company with ten customers. It's a major player. People depend on the products and services provided by Apple and pay very goo money for them. Stop with the same day mega-launches which cause everything to crash. Order on Friday, get it on Friday. Order on Monday, get it on Monday. Get it. That stretches the buzz without causing everything to fail.
Open letter to you. You are not one of only ten customers now, you are one among millions. No matter how much care and preparation is taken, the overwhelming popularity of the products continues to swamp the servers. Either dont buy on launch day or realize that this is how it will be and relax.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
197 months ago
Same here. SO FRUSTRATED! Calling corporate for a credit to my account. It's BS. :mad:

Do you call the department of transportation and demand money when the roads are congested too? Yay for our overdeveloped sense of entitlement!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
197 months ago
It's not like the phone doesn't work in the meantime for all its other functions.

The 4s can't do anything else until it's activated.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
inkswamp Avatar
197 months ago
Given that there are two other carriers to choose from, and given four solid years of complaints from iPhone user's about AT&T's service, why the hell are people still choosing AT&T?

I understand that there are a relatively small amount of people out there who only get AT&T service at their home and/or workplace, and I understand if those kind of people choose AT&T. But it seems that the majority of people buying the iPhone 4S with AT&T are not those kind of people. Could someone please explain why?
Because all the whining you hear around the Internet about AT&T's service being vastly inferior to that of Verizon is coming from a very vocal minority in large cities (SF and NY, to name a couple) where that happens to be the case. Nobody is going out to the countless smaller cities, like where I live about 80 miles north of Seattle, where AT&T's service is impeccable and blows the competition out of the water (in 3 years, I can count on one hand the number of dropped calls I've had with my iPhone3G... no joke.) I suspect that's the case in lots of other places too but reporting on reliable service in a city of 200K isn't an interesting story so the tech press skews in favor of all the bellyaching in more densely populated locations.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
11 minutes ago
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
9 hours ago
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
19 hours ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
21 hours ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
2 days ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
2 days ago
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
2 days ago
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
3 days ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
3 days ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
3 days ago
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
3 days ago
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
3 days ago
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
3 days ago
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
3 days ago
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
3 days ago
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
3 days ago
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
3 days ago
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
3 days ago
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
3 days ago
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
3 days ago
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
4 days ago
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
4 days ago
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
4 days ago
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
4 days ago
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
4 days ago
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
4 days ago
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
4 days ago
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
4 days ago