Slash Lane
The totals reported Thursday handily bested the 3.2 million iPhones AT&T activated in the previous quarter, when the iPhone 4 first went on sale. AT&T's sales of 5.2 million iPhones should come as no surprise to anyone who followed Apple's earnings report on Monday, when the handset maker revealed it had sold 14.1 million iPhones in the same time period.
The iPhone also helped to drive new customers to AT&T, as 24 percent of those who bought an Apple handset during the quarter were new to the carrier. In all, AT&T sold 8 million postpaid "integrated" devices, or smartphones.
"This was a terrific mobile broadband quarter," said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and chief executive officer. "A record number of customers signed new two-year contracts and integrated device sales outpaced our previous best by a wide margin. Wireless revenues continue to grow, churn is reaching record low levels, and postpaid ARPU increased for the seventh straight quarter."
But as noted by John Paczkowski of Digital Daily, AT&T also excluded the iPhone, by far its best-selling product, from a presentation slide touting the company's "Mobile Broadband Leadership." Products from Google Android, Research in Motion BlackBerry, HP webOS, Microsoft Windows Phone 7, and Nokia Symbian were shown, as well as an Amazon Kindle.
While the exclusion of the iPhone may have simply been done in an effort to promote the carrier's other devices, the timing is suspect, as Apple is strongly rumored to release a Verizon-compatible iPhone early next year. Verizon is AT&T's chief rival and is also the largest wireless carrier in the U.S.
Because of those widespread and recurring reports, many believe that it is now an inevitability that AT&T will lose exclusivity of the iPhone. The carrier has been Apple's sole wireless partner in the U.S. since the handset launched in 2007.
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Mike Wuerthele
Chip Loder
Amber Neely
73 Comments
AT&T But the company also made it a point to specifically promote other, non-Apple handsets in its lineup as rumors of a Verizon iPhone swirl.
I hope the rumors don't swirl down the toilet. Thought we might see an announcement yesterday. Don't really care myself. I just want to see everybody here that said it could not be done proven WRONG! Ahh hah hah hah
I hope the rumors don't swirl down the toilet. Thought we might see an announcement yesterday. Don't really care myself. I just want to see everybody here that said it could not be done proven WRONG! Ahh hah hah hah
I'd love to know a few things.
1. Why you thought for one second that they'd announce an iDevice at a Mac event.
2. Who these people are who say a CDMA/LTE iPhone can't be done so that I can laugh at them as well. I just don't think anyone would say that.
Because of those widespread and recurring reports, many believe that it is now an inevitability that AT&T will lose exclusivity of the iPhone. The carrier has been Apple's sole wireless partner in the U.S. since the handset launched in 2007.
That 3-1/2 years will go down as a huge wasted opportunity on AT&T's part. While raking in billions of dollars from the iPhone, they couldn't manage to get their network anywhere close to Verizon's. What a joke.
AT&T has never promoted the iPhone. The only place the iPhone is ever mentioned is in the stores and on their website. I'm sure this will be the same with Verizon. I don't think Apple wants to leave promotion up to the carrier, would probably mean giving up some control over the device as well.
I'd love to know a few things...
2. Who these people are who say a CDMA/LTE iPhone can't be done so that I can laugh at them as well. I just don't think anyone would say that.
Have you been on the boards lately? No one is saying it "can't" be done. But a lot of people are saying it "won't" be done.
Apple and Verizon will never see eye to eye because both are run by headstrong individuals.
Apple won't accept the Verizon logo and VCast crap on their phone.
The 5-year contract with AT&T.
Verizon said no to Apple in 2007, so Apple is mad at them.
Apple will only release a GSM phone.
CDMA is dead, so Apple will wait till LTE is more widespread, in 2012 (which lines up nicely with the 5-year contract).
Finally, what is most likely in my opinion: They're pissed they bought an iPhone on AT&T when the people who waited 6 months will be able to actually use their phone as a phone.