Sprint again activates 1.5 million iPhones in third quarter
Sprint announced on Thursday that it activated 1.5 million iPhones in the third quarter of 2012, the same number it has maintained for three straight quarters.
About 40 percent of the 1.5 million iPhones sold were to new customers, the third-largest carrier in the U.S. announced on Thursday. No sales figures for the iPhone 5, which launched with just a week left in the quarter, were provided, but Sprint did say it surpassed 1 million LTE smartphones prior to the launch of Apple's latest handset.
Sprint saw its wireless service revenue grow 14 percent year over year, as it added nearly 900,000 to its platform. The carrier's postpaid average revenue per unit also grew 5 percent year over year.
But Sprint also posted an operating loss of $231 million and a net loss of $767 million on revenues of nearly $7.3 billion during the quarter.
"The Sprint platform performed well, with strong net subscriber additions, record third quarter postpaid and prepaid churn and robust revenue growth, contributing to Adjusted OIBDA of $1.28 billion even as we continue to invest in Network Vision and position the company for future growth," said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. "As a result, we believe we will slightly exceed the top of the range of our recently increased Adjusted OIBDA forecast."
Sprint's iPhone sales have been consistent throughout 2012, as the carrier activated 1.5 million units in the June quarter, as well as the March quarter that kicked off the year. About 44 percent of iPhone activations went to new customers in the first quarter of the year, while 40 percent were to new customers in the second quarter.
Sprint's iPhone activations for the quarter compare to 6.1 million at AT&T, where Apple's handset accounted for 77 percent of the carrier's 6.1 million total smartphone activations. And Verizon announced last week that it activated 3.1 million iPhones in the September quarter, with 650,000 of those being the new iPhone 5.
It's been a big week for Sprint where Apple is concerned, as the carrier will now have access to Apple's iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad. Previously, the cellular-capable models of iPad were only compatible with AT&T and Verizon's networks in the U.S.
About 40 percent of the 1.5 million iPhones sold were to new customers, the third-largest carrier in the U.S. announced on Thursday. No sales figures for the iPhone 5, which launched with just a week left in the quarter, were provided, but Sprint did say it surpassed 1 million LTE smartphones prior to the launch of Apple's latest handset.
Sprint saw its wireless service revenue grow 14 percent year over year, as it added nearly 900,000 to its platform. The carrier's postpaid average revenue per unit also grew 5 percent year over year.
But Sprint also posted an operating loss of $231 million and a net loss of $767 million on revenues of nearly $7.3 billion during the quarter.
"The Sprint platform performed well, with strong net subscriber additions, record third quarter postpaid and prepaid churn and robust revenue growth, contributing to Adjusted OIBDA of $1.28 billion even as we continue to invest in Network Vision and position the company for future growth," said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. "As a result, we believe we will slightly exceed the top of the range of our recently increased Adjusted OIBDA forecast."
Sprint's iPhone sales have been consistent throughout 2012, as the carrier activated 1.5 million units in the June quarter, as well as the March quarter that kicked off the year. About 44 percent of iPhone activations went to new customers in the first quarter of the year, while 40 percent were to new customers in the second quarter.
Sprint's iPhone activations for the quarter compare to 6.1 million at AT&T, where Apple's handset accounted for 77 percent of the carrier's 6.1 million total smartphone activations. And Verizon announced last week that it activated 3.1 million iPhones in the September quarter, with 650,000 of those being the new iPhone 5.
It's been a big week for Sprint where Apple is concerned, as the carrier will now have access to Apple's iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad. Previously, the cellular-capable models of iPad were only compatible with AT&T and Verizon's networks in the U.S.
Comments
the other manufacturers release their own numbers
I will go back to Sprint if it offers cheaper data.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rogifan
How come we only ever hear about how many iPhones were sold? The big three never release numbers for other manufacturers.
And you can do the math.
half of verizon's sales were iphones, 75% of att sales were iphones, 1.5million at sprint (more than half again, i suppose..)
and yet android activations on the US is 3 to 1, according to some "sources". it is really confusing, don't you think?
g
iPhones are such a large percentage of smartphone sales for the carriers that have them, that they feel its necessary to mention. On AT&T, where 77% of smartphone sales were iPhones, that leaves just 22.5% for Android, Blackberry and Win Phone altogether.. On Verizon that number was 46%, a lot lower, but still almost half. Considering that Verizon is responsible for kicking Android sales up in this country, at least, that's an amazing number as well, since it was 0% two years ago. The same percentage, approximately is assumed for Sprint. If T-Mobile had the iPhone, officially, it likely would be about the same as Sprint and Verizon. Considering that most of the independent phone companies in the Us now carry the iPhone, that would bring iPhone sales above 50% here. Heh! If Apple could produce enough, it could have been there now.
And that's why they don't give the other numbers. This is one of those instances where Android, Blackberry and Win Phone are classified as "other" on the chart.
Apple releases their own numbers, but most other manufacturers either release shipped numbers, numbers sold to distributers, retailers and carriers, or in the case of Samsung, and a couple of others, don't release quarterly numbers of smartphones at all.
There's something screwy with Google's numbers. I've done some figuring in this, and can't come up with the kind of Android numbers we are given. The only major carrier in the US without the iPhone is T-Mobile, and they're fairly small. Even so, people buy iPhones to use on their network, unlocked, without the use of 4G or even 3G, though with the increased use of 1900 MHz by T-Mobile for 3G that's slowly changing. But most indie phone companies now offer the iPhone, and I can't imagine that their percentages are that much different from Verizon's. I read that iPhone sales at the indies are very strong it I can't translate to an actual percentage.
At worst, I would think that iPhone sales in the US are at least 40%, and possibly a bit higher. If Apple weren't supply constrained right now, that could be 50%.
I have to agree when you seen the big carries saying Apple is their single supplier making up the largest portion of their business I can not see how Android keeps claiming they are selling and activating more phones. From the US carriers the numbers do not add up, so it must be the EU, India and Asian markets buying android but that has not bee backed up either. Even Google's mobile ad data says they make more money from IOS devices than they do on Android which we all conclude that most Andriod users just us it as phone verses a data device
The key here is, Google counts all basic version phone as well for their numbers. Any phone with their android version counts, not the smartphones alone. Most of the Samsung, LG, Motorola basic phones come with Android.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
There's something screwy with Google's numbers. I've done some figuring in this, and can't come up with the kind of Android numbers we are given. The only major carrier in the US without the iPhone is T-Mobile, and they're fairly small. Even so, people buy iPhones to use on their network, unlocked, without the use of 4G or even 3G, though with the increased use of 1900 MHz by T-Mobile for 3G that's slowly changing. But most indie phone companies now offer the iPhone, and I can't imagine that their percentages are that much different from Verizon's. I read that iPhone sales at the indies are very strong it I can't translate to an actual percentage.
At worst, I would think that iPhone sales in the US are at least 40%, and possibly a bit higher. If Apple weren't supply constrained right now, that could be 50%.
most of the android sales are outside the US where you have to pay full price for the phone and you can buy a decent android phone for $200 or so
Quote:
Originally Posted by winstein2010
I will go back to Sprint if it offers cheaper data.
Considering Sprint is one of the (the?) only contract phone carrier in the US providing unlimited data, how is their pricing outrageous? AT&T and Verizon both charge more for less. The problem is that Sprint's 3G service is stupidly slow. The first markets they have their LTE in are turning up decent numbers, but it won't be spread thru the US fully until the end of next year. Which is when it's phone upgrade time for me conveniently
Quote:
Originally Posted by mobiletechi
The key here is, Google counts all basic version phone as well for their numbers. Any phone with their android version counts, not the smartphones alone. Most of the Samsung, LG, Motorola basic phones come with Android.
Not true for Motorola, Motorola only make Feature Phones, which are not android and Smart Phones which are android, I can not say if the same is true for Samsung and LG, and today Motorola is no longer selling feature phones except the older push to talk phones that Sprint still sell, and I believe the plan is to migrate the push to talk to Android as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by al_bundy
most of the android sales are outside the US where you have to pay full price for the phone and you can buy a decent android phone for $200 or so
Even on the US, apple has less than a third of marketshare. Explain that, please.
Originally Posted by pedromartins
Even on the US, apple has less than a third of marketshare. Explain that, please.
Seems that it's actually more than 40%. And do you REALLY want to call into question the fact that a dozen manufacturers with hundreds of models still can't take a third of the entire market away from one manufacturer with six models? Or the fact that Apple has 80% of the industry's profits despite only having 2/5ths the market?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Seems that it's actually more than 40%. And do you REALLY want to call into question the fact that a dozen manufacturers with hundreds of models still can't take a third of the entire market away from one manufacturer with six models? Or the fact that Apple has 80% of the industry's profits despite only having 2/5ths the market?
You are missing the point. Please re-read my previous posts.
My problem is that despite the fact that Apple has 46% of Verizon's sales, 77% of AT&T sales, 75% of Sprint's sales, Google & Samsung still talk about their massive marketshare.
Even on the USA, Apple is seen as only having 30% market share.
How is this even possible, especially in USA? Someone has to be LYING (this is my main point). Who is it? Apple & the carriers, or Google?
Quote:
Originally Posted by pedromartins
You are missing the point. Please re-read my previous posts.
My problem is that despite the fact that Apple has 46% of Verizon's sales, 77% of AT&T sales, 75% of Sprint's sales, Google & Samsung still talk about their massive marketshare.
Even on the USA, Apple is seen as only having 30% market share.
How is this even possible, especially in USA? Someone has to be LYING (this is my main point). Who is it? Apple & the carriers, or Google?
Of their SMARTPHONE sales. Smartphones are not the only phones sold ya know. Plus there are all of the pay as you go phones, of which many are available w/Android phones. Not so many Apple phones in those markets.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SSquirrel
Of their SMARTPHONE sales. Smartphones are not the only phones sold ya know. Plus there are all of the pay as you go phones, of which many are available w/Android phones. Not so many Apple phones in those markets.
So you are telling that a huge number of phones with android on them are not "smartphones" or at least considered as such by the carriers? Can you justify that?
Quote:
Originally Posted by pedromartins
You are missing the point. Please re-read my previous posts.
My problem is that despite the fact that Apple has 46% of Verizon's sales, 77% of AT&T sales, 75% of Sprint's sales, Google & Samsung still talk about their massive marketshare.
Even on the USA, Apple is seen as only having 30% market share.
How is this even possible, especially in USA? Someone has to be LYING (this is my main point). Who is it? Apple & the carriers, or Google?
Or logic can be applied to the situation, since these are quarterly numbers. These numbers include the massive sales spike that occurs everytime a new Iphone is released. It generally goes something like this:
Release quarter: Massive spike, outsells the competition handily
Next quarter: % will drop, but will still be high due to holiday sales
3rd quarter: sales drop after christmas, competing with new android phones being released through that quarter
4th quarter: sales drop again, everyone waits for the new model
Repeat again.
This has been going on since the original iphone was been released. After 6 months, many people will simply wait for the next model, which only makes the release quarter even bigger(that is a generalization).
Quote:
Originally Posted by pedromartins
You are missing the point. Please re-read my previous posts.
My problem is that despite the fact that Apple has 46% of Verizon's sales, 77% of AT&T sales, 75% of Sprint's sales, Google & Samsung still talk about their massive marketshare.
Even on the USA, Apple is seen as only having 30% market share.
How is this even possible, especially in USA? Someone has to be LYING (this is my main point). Who is it? Apple & the carriers, or Google?
There are 323M wireless customers in the US. AT&T, Verizon and Sprint are 250M of these. So that is 73M customers that have no access to iPhone activations. Also, new activations in Q3 does not equate to subscriber breakdown by handset. AT&T has 100M subscribers - just because 75% of them bought an iPhone last quarter doesn't mean 75% of their total subscribers have an iphone. Sprint for example has only been carrying the iphone for just over a year, so if you were locked into a 2-year contract before then you may still have a ways to go before you can upgrade to an iPhone.
iPhone also ignores the pre-paid market in the US, which is dominated by Android.