“Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile carrier, sold 4.2 million Apple Inc. iPhones in the fourth quarter, more than doubling from the third quarter, said Fran Shammo, finance chief of the company’s parent,” Scott Moritz reports for Bloomberg.
“The demand suggests Verizon Wireless is winning an increasing share of new iPhone users, after gaining rights to offer the handset to its subscribers last year,” Moritz reports. “In the third quarter, Verizon added 2 million customers for the device, trailing the 2.7 million iPhone activations at AT&T Inc., which has offered the handset since 2007.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: In addition, Dan Seifert reports for MobileBurn that Verizon activated 2.2 million LTE devices during the quarter.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Springer99” for the heads up.]
AT&T coverage is horrible in my area. When my contract is up, it’s back to Verizon.
I get good coverage everywhere but at work, the place I want it the most. My contract is up next November, and I’m going to switch also. I’m just hoping the next iPhone has 4G (or whatever they call it) because the Verizon users who have it get crazy fast service. I can deal with the crappy battery life, just give me the speed!
I’m on AT&T and I get great service in my area. I’m staying on AT&T.
AT&T is fine for me (i hate talking on the phone and try to avoid it) — what counts are the data plans.
At the end of the day, I haven’t met a single carrier I didn’t hate, I haven’t met a single carrier that didn’t try to ream me a new one on some rinky-dink fee structure. So Verizon v AT&T — ?? — they both suck hard.
I tried Verizon for a different plan last year (a MiFi card), and their customer service is straight from hell. They nickel and dime you to death, and there’s no discussing questionable fees with them. I dropped them pronto and would never consider them again. ATT is much better.
I live in the largest metro area between Cleveland and Columbus in Ohio; most of the adjoining small communities have no AT&T coverage at all. 3G has been promised for years but is still not available. Yes, that’s right, I have to use EDGE when away from WiFi. I’m glad for those of you that live in a place where AT&T gives a sh*t, but that place isn’t here.
Telmex in Mexico is a virtual monopoly…. But I pay $65USD a month for unlimited data, texting and have never exceeded my minutes in 5 years. Coverage …. 5 bars all the time …. You would think AT&T in the most technologically advanced country in the world could equal or top this… :=)
On launch weekend the VZW 4S could be had in any flavor where I live. The AT&T iPhone, weeks to get one.
Both carriers have their strengths and weaknesses, but I have to think AT&T sold a bunch of iPhones this quarter also.
They sold four to me.
Dad, I didn’t get mine yet! Will it be coming soon?
That’s the bottom line right now – its all about coverage. Verizon has/had a rep for being incredible and AT&T for being shizzle, but the only real differentiator is coverage where the particular users needs it most.
Here in Boston, my AT&T is as good as Verizon where I need it. Also, AT&T is faster than Verizon here. My friends with 4G devices here have spotty coverage right now, so waiting for a 4G iPhone works for me.
Same here, north-east, and while Verizon is the king of call quality coverage here, AT&T stomps them on iPhone data speeds.
My iPhone is a computer that makes calls, voice is just an app on it.
VZW also costs more for much much slower data.
VZW iPhone is ~1mbps… My 4S is pushing 5+
VZW LTE is cool, but the battery life in LTE chipset tech is just not there yet.
No point is blazingt fast speed if you are out of power.
Contrary to the idiot writer of this article, Verizon’s surge in iPhone sales does NOT necessarily suggest it is winning share from ATT. If ATT had a similar surge–which I would bet is the case–share between the two would stay the same. When you figure that Apple also added Sprint for the first time, Verizon might actually have lost “share.” There is simply no basis for making any judgement until we know more about iPhone sales at other carriers (or Apple’s total iPhone sales for the quarter).
Don’t forget that AT&T also “lost share” due to Sprint. Like Doubleusn, I too am veering from voice communications towards written. In my work, proof of instruction is becoming increasingly important. But here in the Rockies, Verizon is the only consistant provider. And I have had great customer service from them. I did try AT&T for 30 days alongside Verizon, trying the iPhone before VZ had it. No data or voice coverage inside a building and unbelievably bad customer service. Nobody home on the weekends? Are you serious?
I lived for a year in rural area in CA where Verizon was the telco. Turned out Verizon was charging long distance fees to call the house across the street. I know of many customers in that area who discovered their phone bill to be in the hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Verizon Customer Service = THE SEWER OF HELL