A T-Mobile customer is expressing his dissatisfaction after having trouble activating his new iPhones just because he wanted to purchase them at the Apple Store.
“Leaving without the two phones I was buying today because T-Mobile and Apple can’t get their act together,” Steve (@magicmansteve1) tells viewers in a TikTok video that’s received over 865,600 times.
According to Steve, he went to purchase new phones directly from the Apple Store, but was told “T-Mobile won’t activate it for them.”
“They couldn’t sell me the phones today. I have to order them online, then I can come pick them up,” he says. “And they said it’s a lot of the carriers, not just T-Mobile. And I’m thinking, what the hell’s going on? That’s their way of forcing you to buy it from them? That’s my opinion on it.”
How do you activate an iPhone?
Many viewers were confused about Steve’s predicament, as it’s actually quite simple to set up a new iPhone with the carrier of your choice on your own.
“What do you mean activate?” wrote one commenter. “You buy the phone unlocked and then you just put in the sim or install the eSIM and you’re good to go.”
When you turn the new phone on, your iPhone will first walk you through connecting an existing Apple account if you have one. This will let you transfer over settings and an iCloud backup of your previous phone.
After that, there are additional prompts to set up eSIM and activate your phone with your specific wireless carrier, assuming you already have an active wireless plan. If you didn’t have one previously, you can still generally sign up for a plan and then activate the phone yourself.
Apple also has set up directions on its website, as does T-Mobile.
However, for those who have run into issues activating phones in the past, or want to make sure they’re doing things right, getting assistance in the store can still save time and frustration—especially if something goes wrong.
Do iPhones have different prices at different stores?
Ultimately, it seems like part of Steve’s frustration was the different price points put forward by the different stores.
“Apple wants $30 more per phone if you don’t set it up now,” Steve claims in a follow-up video. “Since we have T-Mobile, I might as well set it up there. But if I go to T-Mobile and buy the phones, they’re about $80 more for the phone. So either way, you’re screwed. That’s why it’s a rip-off.”
@magicmansteve1 @T-Mobile @applestore #@NewsNation #apple #iphone #newsbreak #forcedsale ♬ original sound – Magicmansteve
Finding the best price for the phone you want can definitely be a chore.
But at least one viewer pointed out that salespeople at a store like T-Mobile may not want to help activate a phone purchased elsewhere for financial reasons, too.
“Yes carrier stores and employees don’t want to activate a phone that you bought third party,” wrote one user. “They don’t make any money off the sale it’s just tech work for them. Most work heavily off commission.”
Fortunately, after waiting over three hours, Steve revealed that he was ultimately able to get the two iPhones. He successfully got them at the Apple Store and activated them there.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Steve via TikTok comment and T-Mobile via email.
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