One of the major critiques of the 3G iPhone, is the hullabaloo involved with the initial signup. When the phone launched, the lines were backed up to epic levels. The reason for the long lines, of course was demand, but also the time it took to have people sign up for service and activate their phones.
Activations, unlike the previous iPhone all had to be done in store. These could take anywhere from 5-10 minutes, which of course didn’t help the problem with long lines.
It might be too late to help with launch, but Apple is allowing customers to sign up with 3G iPhone service online, before going to make their purchase. Activating your 3G iPhone will still have to be done at the store though.
