How to activate an iPhone

Before you start listening to music, watching videos, and calling friends with your new iPhone, you've got to activate it. Here's how. This video will show you how to activate an iPhone.

You Will Need

* An iPhone
* A SIM card
* An iPhone USB cord
* A computer with an iTunes account

Step 1. Sign a contract

Before you plug anything in, set up a cell phone contract for your iPhone. Go to Apple’s web site to find information on the carriers available.

Step 2. Insert SIM card

Using the metal pin provided, insert your SIM card into the top of your iPhone.

Step 3. Plug in iPhone

Plug your iPhone into your computer using the USB cord, and launch iTunes.

Step 4. Click through prompts

When the registration and welcome prompt appears on your computer screen, click Continue. You will be asked to agree to a software license, log in to your iTunes account, and enter other personal information in order to register and activate your iPhone.

If you don’t want to activate your iPhone yourself, you can take it to your nearest Apple Store.

Step 5. Name your iPhone

Follow the prompts either to set up your iPhone as a new phone or to restore the data from an old one. If this is a new phone, give it a name so iTunes can properly label it in the Device section. If iTunes presents a prompt to update your iPhone’s software, click Update.

Step 6. Sync media

Sync your iPod with your iTunes media. Choose songs, pictures, contacts, and anything else you have stored in your library for syncing. And be patient – the process may take 20 minutes or more.

Don’t unplug your iPhone while it’s syncing.

Step 7. Unplug phone

Once your iPhone screen informs you the sync is finished, hit the eject button in the iTunes Device column, and unplug your iPhone from the computer. Activation, registration, and syncing are now complete and your iPhone is ready for use.

FACT: One million iPhone 3Gs were sold within three days of th