3.1M iPhone, 1M e-reader additions help AT&T gain on Verizon
The activation of 3.1 million iPhones represented the second-highest quarter in the history of Apple's handset on the AT&T network. The best was in the summer of 2009, when the nation's second-largest wireless provider activated a record 3.2 million iPhones.
AT&T now has 85.1 million total subscribers, and continues to gain on Verizon, the market leader. Verizon, earlier this week, reported a total subscriber base of 91.2 million.
For all of 2009, AT&T added 7.3 million new subscribers, which was the company's best-ever annual total. AT&T reported 51 cents of diluted earnings per share in its fourth financial quarter, compared to 41 cents in the same frame of 2008.
AT&T also revealed Thursday that 1 million of its new customers were from non-phone devices, like the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Sony Reader. AT&T recently struck deals with those companies to provide wireless access for the dedicated devices.
While the e-reader subscriptions helped to boost AT&T's overall total, the company lagged behind Verizon in terms of customers under contract. AT&T added 910,000 new customers under long-term deals, while Verizon acquired 1.2 million subscribers under contract. Customers on contract are far more profitable for wireless providers.
AT&T's role in the e-reader market — with no-contract data plans — is poised to grow even more, after Apple revealed Wednesday that its forthcoming iPad device will offer 3G access with the 9.7-inch touchscreen device. Plans will be $15 per month with a 250MB data cap, or $30 per month for unlimited data access. Both plans will come with no annual contract and can be added or canceled from the iPad at any time.
The 3G-enabled iPad will have a starting price of $629 for 16GB of storage and is expected to become available in three months. The device will ship unlocked, but GSM-only, and only supports AT&T's wireless 3G network in the U.S.
34 Comments
Don't tell me - this isn't going to be another DELL (Verizon) vs APPLE (AT&T) battle - is it? LOL
Verizon better hurry up with that changeover to 4G... They're missing out on all that Apple goodness!
Nothing bad can come from AT&T gaining ground on Verizon. Maybe Verizon will finally open the gates to the iphone as AT&T slowly gains ground on their user base.
Why does every post continue this error:
"The device will ship unlocked, but GSM-only, and only supports AT&T's wireless 3G network in the U.S."
unlocked means unlocked.
any GSM Micro-Sim means any GSM Micro-Sim.
Here is some great facts from the company providing the Micro-Sims:
"3FF SIMs were developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute to fit into devices too small for a regular SIM. Where a regular SIM measures 15 millimeters x 25 mm, a 3FF SIM card measures 12mm x 15mm.
"The 3FF is a size option that's fully acceptable and supported by the industry," said Jean-Louis Carrara, vice president of business development for telecommunications, at SIM card manufacturers Gemalto North America.
Today's "regular" sim is actually the second SIM form factor, shrunken down from the SIM card's original credit-card size, Carrara said.
Carrara said that Gemalto has already shipped 3FF SIM cards to "the U.S. operators," though he declined to specify which carriers or for which devices.
"Gemalto makes it possible for all carriers worldwide to punch out a 3FF SIM ... [Steve Jobs] mentioned publicly that the device will be available in 60 days. A lot can happen in 60 days," Carrara said.
According to a press release from Lok8u Ltd., T-Mobile will begin to deploy 3FF SIM cards in Lok8u's nu-m8 wristwatch-style personal locator devices later this year.
"T-Mobile continues to invest in the development, testing and introduction of new SIM card form factors, like the micro 3FF, to directly meet the needs of these applications and enable new M2M solutions that have been hindered by traditional SIM form factors," John Horn, national director of M2M, T-Mobile USA said in a statement.
For their part, spokespeople for AT&T and T-Mobile both had no immediate comment on consumer availability of 3FF SIM cards.
Notice the bolded print: U.S. operatorS
That means more than one. More than AT&T.
Once again:
unlocked means unlocked.
any GSM Micro-Sim means any GSM Micro-Sim.
Oh yeah, the article is from PCMag.com
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2358489,00.asp
Why is PCMag getting it right while all the semi-Apple sites get it wrong?