AT&T announced today that it sold more than 10 million smartphones in the fourth quarter of 2012. The number tops AT&T’s company record of 9.4 million, which was set during the 2011 holiday season. The huge sales numbers include a surge for both iPhones and Android-based smartphones.
“We had another incredible quarter of smartphone sales as the mobile Internet continues to drive strong growth in wireless,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T Mobility. “These are the industry’s most valuable postpaid subscribers with average revenues twice that of non-smartphone subscribers. During the quarter, we averaged more than 110,000 smartphone sales a day as customers flocked to our leading portfolio of the latest Android, Apple and Windows devices. Combine that with the nation’s largest 4G network and lightning-fast LTE network that now reaches more than 170 million people and you’ll understand why customers continue to choose AT&T in record numbers.”
Given the record sales AT&T is recording, their fourth-quarter 2012 financial results are likely to make investors smile. Those numbers are scheduled to be released after the markets close on January 24.
AT&T had an exclusive deal as the carrier of the iPhone for years, propelling it to its position as the largest U.S. wireless carrier. Now that the iPhone is sold by other carriers, AT&T has begun experimenting with new revenue options, such as more expensive shared data plans and holding iPhone features hostage.