AT&T Sold a Million More iPhones than Verizon Last Quarter Discussion

[Ed Hardy]

AT&T is still at the top of the heap when it comes to sales of the iPhone. The company sold 3.7 million Apple smartphones in the second quarter of this year, a million more than rival Verizon.

Read the full content of this Article: AT&T Sold a Million More iPhones than Verizon Last Quarter

Related Articles:

• Verizon: Growth is Strong, Half of Customers Bought a Smartphone Last Quarter
• AT&T Unveils Much-Anticipated Shared Data Plan
• AT&T Introduces the Samsung Galaxy S III

[LandSurveyor]

I get the feeling from things I've heard and read in the past that VZW is sort of lukewarm on the iPhone. Maybe that has something to do with it. Verizon really didn't ever need it like ATT did, anyway.

[Adama D. Brown]

LS, a big part of the reason they're lukewarm on the current iPhone is that it's 3G only, and Verizon is trying heavily to shift users over onto the new 4G network. They'd much rather people be using the still relatively unloaded 4G, than 3G which is creaking under the weight of all those smartphone users. Hence promotions like double the data for 4G phones, trying to steer buyers onto 4G devices at the expense of 3G stuff like the iPhone, etcetera. I'm not saying that would entirely make up for the gap, but it would probably be smaller if Verizon weren't more interested in pushing 4G than iPhone sales.

[LandSurveyor]

Where the 3G to 4G shift is concerned, I think Verizon is responsible for their own problem. Many people I know are keeping their current unlimited contract but are unwilling at present to buy a new 4G device outright since they are accustomed to getting subsidized devices.

Even if you never test the limits of your unlimited plan, it must be hard to stomach paying just as much or more for a limited one.

[Ed Hardy]

Adama makes a good point. And it seems likely Verizon will get more serious about the iPhone when 4G LTE is part of the next-generation model coming this fall... assuming all the rumors are correct, of course.

[Varjak]

I criticize VZW a lot; but in this case I have to side with Adama. V has been 'off phase' with the iPhone since it arrived on their network. It was always inferior to ATT's (can't be on the 'net and the phone at the same time, etc.).

Right now, the new plans are not impacting iPhone sales on VZW; but I think they will tamp down demand when the new 5 comes out, since people will either have to buy their phones unsubsidized or leave their grandfathered plans. They may also have to leave their plans no matter what to get 4G LTE service (not sure on this).

[Varjak]

I criticize VZW a lot; but in this case I have to side with Adama. V has been 'off phase' with the iPhone since it arrived on their network. It was always inferior to ATT's (can't be on the 'net and the phone at the same time, etc.).

Right now, the new plans are not impacting iPhone sales on VZW; but I think they will tamp down demand when the new 5 comes out, since people will either have to buy their phones unsubsidized or leave their grandfathered plans. They may also have to leave their plans no matter what to get 4G LTE service (not sure on this).