AT&T Expects Record Smartphone Sales in 4Q Thanks to the iPhone 4S

AT&T has announced that AT&T is on track to break its single quarter record for smartphone sales, thanks to the iPhone 4S.

Speaking at the UBS 39th Annual Global Media and Communications Conference in New York, John Stephens, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, said that AT&T sold about 6 million smartphones in the first two months of the fourth quarter. Because December is traditionally one of the strongest sales months, AT&T now expects to break the previous single-quarter smartphone record of 6.1 million.

AT&T's strong smartphone sales in part reflect a higher number of handset upgrades from customers who were waiting for the launch of a new iPhone. AT&T previously announced that it activated more than 1 million iPhone 4S' in the first five days the device was available. AT&T said iPhone 4S sales remain strong. Only on AT&T's network can iPhone 4S users download three times faster and talk and surf at the same time.


Stephens also said today that AT&T will turn up additional 4G LTE markets, including New York City, this month, and expects to cover 70 million people with its LTE network by year-end 2011, consistent with its previously announced plans.