Methods and apparatus for activating a mobile device for use with a service provider. In one embodiment, a powered-off mobile device having an inserted Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) may be programmed with configuration data while “in box” (e.g., at a point of sale (POS), in a warehouse, etc.) using a near field communication (NFC) data interface. In another exemplary embodiment, information that is stored to a NFC accessible memory can be accessed when the device is non-functional e.g., to retrieve backup data.