AT&T has been blessed by the iPhone once again, reporting that in just Q3 they have seen 5.2 million iPhone activations. This was the largest number of activations that AT&T has ever seen in a single quarter for Apple"s phone, with Q2 seeing 3.2 million iPhone activations, a full two million shy of the current quarter, CNET reports.
Granted, Apple"s iPhone 4 came out just days before the start of Q3, which would contribute to the large number of activations, but they weren"t all from past iPhone users. AT&T says that at least one fouth of all iPhone activations came from new users. Also, the overall percentage of subscribers who use smartphones is up to 57.2%. One year ago, that same number was at just 42%, so it is obvious that people are shifting to the smartphone world and that these devices are becoming more common among users.
Apple reported early this year that worldwide use of the iPhone has doubled from the same period one year ago. As more users turn to smartphones, Apple"s iOS stands strong among competitors and is a well respected and known brand. AT&T, in their quarterly fiscal report, stated that the total amount of smartphone activations for Q3 was over 8 million, and with the iPhone taking 5.2 million alone, that is a pretty impressive number.
Earnings in later quarters will show just how much of the iPhone activations were due to the release of iPhone 4. However, with one fourth being new customers there is no doubt that their user base is increasing at an exponential rate.