Apple has begun offering a $30 iTunes Store credit for iPhone 3G S buyers who ran into trouble activating their new a device, a result of overloaded servers despite early indications that it would be smooth sailing. Here's the email that was sent out:

Dear Apple Customer,

Thank you for your recent Apple Store order. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience caused by the delay in your iPhone activation.

We are still resolving the issue that was encountered while activating your iPhone with AT&T. Unfortunately, due to system issues and continued high activation volumes, this could take us up to an additional 48 hours to complete.

On Monday, you’ll receive an email from Apple with an iTunes Store credit in the amount of $30. We hope you will enjoy this gift and accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience this delay has caused.

Thank you for choosing Apple.

Sincerely, Apple Online Store Team

At first, the launch seemed to being smoothly, partially a result of Apple releasing the OS 3.0 update early. But as the day went on, some customers trying to activate their new phone received a message saying it may take up to 48 hours to complete. Some, like Kevin Mobley, a software performance expert at The Ian Thomas Group, warns that Apple's brand image might suffer from this and other similar problems.

"Going forward, as Apple presumably gets deals with other carriers and grows the iPhone user base, they'll have to determine if iTunes is really the best solution for activation," Mobley said.

Image Credit: Apple