According to some setteB.IT international sources the iPhone 3G will need a double activation.
One will be the carrier activation made in carrier stores or in carrier’s partners stores, exclusively.
The other activation is required by the App Store via iTunes using the iTunes Store account. It must be made using a Mac or Windows PC.
Full article (in Italian) here.
Full article (in English via Google Translation) here.
MacNN reports, “If confirmed the plan would contrast sharply with that for the original iPhone, under which people were able to simply buy an iPhone and take it home, and subsequently sign up for a carrier contract on their own time through iTunes. Apple is said to have become frustrated, however, by the number of people buying iPhones and unlocking them for an unofficial carrier, thus depriving Apple of shared revenue streams.”
Full article here.