AT&T: 2.5m iPhone subscribers
May 23rd 2008
Quoting comments from CFO Rick Lindner, Reuters reports that AT&T now claims 2.5-million iPhone subscribers, with the average subscriber shelling out $100 a month in fees.
He noted customer spending rates on services were similar to the BlackBerry Curve model from Research In Motion, which now sells for $99.
Further, Rubicon consulting estimates that 50 percent of iPhone users are new customers for AT&T.
Lindner's remarks were recorded at Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit in New York where he was also asked about 3G iPhone pricing.
"There's not been a product announcement. There hasn't been any pricing decisions made. That's yet to come," said CFO Rick Lindner.
"It comes down to economics, how many units you think you can sell at different price points," Lindner said, in reference to how the company makes decisions on subsidizing the price of a phone. "That's how pricing is determined on just about any device."
It has been rumored that AT&T will offer a subsidized entry-level iPhone package later this year with the handset going for an initial outlay of $199.
Editor's note: $99 is a fire sale price for the Curve. From deluxe to debris in under a year... The iPhone's true impact is just now beginning to be felt.
