Verizon: iPhone 3G has impact, but 'minimal'
updated 11:10 am EDT, Mon July 28, 2008
Verizon on iPhone 3G Intro
The launch of the iPhone 3G has affected Verizon's sales since launch but only in a small way, the company said today when discussing its latest quarterly results. In response to a question during the US phone provider's conference call for its spring figures, the company argues that the Apple device had a "minimally short-term impact" on Verizon since the July 11th launch and that the handset's influence was "disproportionately less" than could be expected for the respective market shares of AT&T and Verizon.
The carrier hasn't provided more precise estimates for any customer shift, although its strategy is less dependent on "any one device," according to company officials. AT&T has said that its agreement to subsidize the price of the iPhone 3G will have an effect on its near-term income but is counting on long-term revenue from contracts to make up the difference.
Verizon also asserts that the original iPhone onwards have had a stimulating effect on its own sales. Over 30 percent of phones sold are now smartphones, the firm says. These devices often have a higher up-front price and are similarly more lucrative in the long term, as customers are more likely to attach data plans and other services that translate to a higher average revenue per month for each user.
The claims follow data from a spring quarter in which Verizon says it added 1.5 million net customers, outpacing AT&T's 1.3 million during the same period and narrowing AT&T's lead in its total subscriber base. AT&T however dealt with iPhone shortages during that quarter that it says affected its results.
Hahahaha!
07/28, 11:39am reply
Funny!
Guest
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 1999
maybe true
07/28, 11:43am reply
That maybe true due to the training the sales-staff was given about how bad the iPhone is and how everyone is not happy with it!! With is total FUD.
However, had Apple had more 3Gs to sell and if they did not runout of stock on their original iPhone, Verizon's impact would have definitely not have been "minimal".
bloggerblog
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Joined: Aug 2007
PR guys are funny
07/28, 11:49am reply
PR guys... you can see right through them. It had a large impact but they want to blow it off to make their investors feel comfortable.
MadGoat
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Joined: Feb 2008
What is a large impact
07/28, 12:12pm reply
They sold a million units in the first weekend and would have sold more if they had the stock. I'm Curious how many new subscribers AT&T got with this, I switch wireless providers to buy this phone. And I also want to know who these people are that say the phone isn't that great, what were they using before, I find something new to love my iphone for every day.
Roehlstation
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Joined: Aug 2001
Buying customers
07/28, 12:29pm (1 reply) reply
Verizon has added wireless customers buying buying Cell one (mostly low paying rural customers) and soon Alltell for billions which will leave the company in debt to the tune of over 50 billion by next year. While AT&T has added 1.3 million customers without buying anything.
Never saw a line in front of a Verizon store.
digiprod
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Joined: Sep 2007
Amen
07/28, 12:35pm reply
Joked to my buddy while waiting for the 3g iPhone - we could see the Verizon kiosk below..... Not a person in sight.
itguy05
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2005
so little impact
07/28, 01:43pm reply
they had to tell everyone that it has had little impact. Oh brother.
Doofuses.
robttwo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2005
the truth is in there...
07/28, 02:01pm (1 reply) reply
They're actually right, the short-term impact is minimal. Just note that they didn't say anything about the long-term impact ;-)
sribe
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Joined: Jan 2003
impact
07/28, 02:38pm reply
We also don't know the impact for ATT. If they sold most of their phones to ATT customers, there isn't much impact (they keep a bunch of subscribers, but not adding many).
And considering how many cell phones all these companies sell in a quarter, 1 million isn't a killer number for any of ATT's competitors.
But no one will know anything until you see Q3 numbers from all these companies.
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
Actually...
07/28, 02:40pm reply
ATT already announced last week that a much smaller percentage of iPhone 3G buyers were switchers compared to the original iPhone launch last year. ATT got the "low hanging fruit" of switchers last year. Of course, basing any judgement on only two week's sales is kinda silly anyway. Ask them again in 6 months...
ender
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Joined: Mar 1999