Low US iPhone contribution

An AT&T report indicates that only 24 percent of 10.2 million iPhones were activated in the US during Apple's third quarter, according to setteB. This -- as compared to 42 percent of 3.8 million devices sold during Apple's second quarter - may indicate that the US market has lost a substantial amount of value. The Italian website also notes though that figures for AT&T's operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) show that the sequential margin impact of the iPhone 3GS was much less than that of the iPhone 3G launch, in the third quarter of 2008.

The OIBDA outcome is thought to be attributable to continuing improvements in network and support functions, and a growing iPhone subscriber base. The numbers further appear in light of the fact that Apple has not yet shipped the iPhone 3GS to many countries, which could account for the lower sequential impact.

by MacNN Staff