Apparently, another of Apple’s “partner’s” has let the cat out of the bag yet again. According to a leaked memo, there will be a special form of activation. Apparently there will be an “Activation-Only” version of iTunes. Many believe that this “Activation Only” section of iTunes will be included in iTunes 7.7 when it is officially released to the public in a few days. The memo also states that this “Activation Only” version of iTunes will be part of the “unbricking” process. Which leads me to believe that the iPhone 3G will not have an OS (Operating System) when you buy it. It might just have bootloader and the USB drivers. This seems like a clever idea, but I also hope that the iPhone Dev Team can unlock and jailbreak the iPhone 3G shortly after launch. Also, the full memo says that there will be a tutorial on Apple.com shortly after launch. Note that the beta version of iTunes 7.7 has this “Activation Only” method included. This is part of the memo: (The part that I can show to you all)

To ensure customers can leave with a fully functional iPhone, it must be first be “unbricked”. This process involves using the tether (a USB cable: see below) to connect/sync the iPhone to a unique ‘Activation Only’ version of iTunes via a computer. More information about the unbricking process will be provided in training (found on Fast Track and Sales Central) and you will be informed when the job aid is available.

More to come…

-Alan Vazquez