AT&T, the exclusive carrier for the iPhone 3G, Thursday began offering online sales of the Apple handset with home activation, a move not available through Cupertino.
The new ordering system is open to new AT&T customers or iPhone owners that would like to add a line, according to Apple Insider. iPhones purchased online can then activate the handset through iTunes.
Before today, iPhone purchasers had to trudge to an AT&T or Apple retail outlet.
As part of the Internet ordering, customers can opt to talk to a live operator when selecting an iPhone model and features. Overnight shipping is free with eight days left to order for arrival before Christmas Day.
Due to the online iPhone orders being linked to a user account and a requirement of social security number for credit check, non-family members must still go to a retailer or purchase an Apple iPhone Gift Card.
Ed Sutherland is a veteran technology journalist who first heard of Apple when they grew on trees, Yahoo was run out of a Stanford dorm and Google was an unknown upstart. Since then, Sutherland has covered the whole technology landscape, concentrating on tracking the trends and figuring out the finances of large (and small) technology companies.
