I recently got an iPhone 3GS without a SIM card. I upgraded it to iOS 6 from 5.1.1.
However, the phone is stuck on "Activation error" after successfully connecting to my WiFi. The screen says:
Activation request could not be completed. If the problem persists,
please contact customer care.
If connected to iTunes 11, iTunes says:
We're sorry, we are unable to continue with your activation at this
time.
Resetting the phone doesn't work. Anybody has any ideas, besides contacting customer care?
Edit: The problem was solved by inserting a valid SIM card.
Best Answer
The message you describe is what happens when a locked phone is restored by iTunes without a SIM present from the carrier that the phone should be locked.
You could use any of the IME I look up tools on the Internet- some are free and some are paid and all make me worry they are harvesting databases of IMEI/serial number/other data in exchange for providing you a service by looking up your phone in the carrier database.
Of course, you can always contact the carrier in question to see what is needed to get service or a Sim card for that device.