AT&T Announces Record 3.2 Million iPhones Activated in Quarter

AT&T today released its earnings report for the third quarter of 2009, and among the highlights was the activation of 3.2 million iPhones, the highest quarterly total in history. The number tops the 2.4 million iPhones activated in the third quarter of 2008 after the release of the iPhone 3G.

Also of note, iPhones accounted for an astounding 74% of total AT&T postpaid activations of "integrated devices" offering either a physical or virtual keyboard in addition to voice capabilities during the quarter. Nearly 40% of iPhone activations were from customers new to AT&T, a figure consistent with previous quarterly performances.

- Strongest Integrated Device Quarter To Date. Postpaid 3G integrated wireless devices added to AT&T's network in the third quarter totaled 4.3 million, the largest quarterly increase in the company's history. Over the past year, the number of postpaid integrated devices on AT&T's network more than doubled, and at the end of the third quarter, 41.7 percent of AT&T's 63.4 million postpaid subscribers had integrated devices. The average ARPU for integrated devices on AT&T's network continues to be 1.8 times that of the company's nonintegrated-device base.

- Record iPhone Activations. AT&T's third-quarter integrated device growth included 3.2 million iPhone activations, also the company's largest quarterly total to date, with nearly 40 percent of the activations for customers who were new to AT&T.

Overall, AT&T experienced a net gain of two million wireless subscribers, the highest such third-quarter additions in company history, and also reduced customer churn levels to record lows.

Apple reported earlier this week as part of a stellar earnings announcement that it had sold a total of 7.4 million iPhones during the quarter.