AT&T Prepares for Max Exodus to Verizon
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It was always a safe bet that once Apple's iPhone 4 broke free from its exclusivity shackles and landed at Verizon, AT&T would lose a portion of its subscriber base as a result. Now we have some hard numbers to work with.
In a recent survey conducted by ChangeWave Research, 15 percent of AT&T's customers said they're ready to find greener grass on the other side within the next 90 days, Yahoo News reports. Incidentally, that's the exact same turnover rate indicated by by T-Mobile customers. Compare those figures with just 4 percent of Verizon customers who say they're eager to switch.
"Now that consumers have a choice of carriers to host their iPhones, AT&T is certain to see a decline is its quarterly Apple sales," said Alex Spektor of Strategy Analytics.
For its part, AT&T isn't overly concerned, or at least it's putting on a good poker face.
"There are lots of surveys out there, but what really matters is how people vote with their dollars," said Mark Siegel, an AT&T spokesperson. "In the third quarter of 2010 we had 5.2 million iPhone activations, up from 3.2 million in the second quarter. If people thought the iPhone was coming to another carrier, which turned out to be the case, it might suggest people would wait, but that didn't happen. Those 5.2 million new customers reinforce our feeling that the effect of the loss of exclusivity has been greatly overstated."
To help stem the tide towards Verizon, AT&T will put more of its chips behind Android, particularly upcoming 4G devices like the dual-core Motorola Atrix 4G.
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Nailer669
January 14, 2011 at 4:56pm
If AT&T had 3G everywhere VZW does, maybe people wouldn't be as eager to jump ship. AT&T might cover 97% of all Americans, but their network is slower that a dead cat climbing a tree AKA no 3G near me. Plus, most people who have cell phones usually find it necessary to make calls AND have a conversation.
FyreLyter
January 14, 2011 at 12:37pm
I am curious about Verizons data plans...
ATT hampers their Iphone users with not offering unlimited data plans.
cpuking2010
January 14, 2011 at 12:13pm
at least the ichidren who have one of these "revaloutionary" devices on VZW can make calls. Glad i'm sticking with Android... FOREVER!
violian
January 14, 2011 at 12:07pm
I wouldn't jump to conclusions yet - that people are just going to jump ship. We've yet to hear pricing plans and how Verizon's network reliability will be impacted once the iPhones take the bandwidths. For instance, if Verizon's plans are going to be more expensive, then people just might think 2x before switching. Or if ATT lowers their pricing plans for the iPhone, then people will also think 2x. No doubt the iPhone's plans will be cheaper now because there's actually competition now. Prior, ATT had a sole monopolization on the iPhone market and there are people out there who are willing to just pay it up just to use the iPhone.
bling581
January 14, 2011 at 11:14am
Having to purchase a new iPhone is probably holding back a lot of people. I'm sure if you didn't have to switch phones you'd see a lot more people migrating. There's also the load of people who are still under contract just waiting for it to expire so they can change.
In the long term I think we'll see a great number of people leaving AT&T.
whathuhitwasntme
January 14, 2011 at 11:03am
there would never have been a "genius" bar if iphone users were more than bleeting sheep following behind the sheep in front of them!
Oh look, a new shiny from apple, I must have it!! Oh my shiny does not work, I must pay you to show me how to turn it ON. I must make an appointment to be mocked by the pseudo geeks in turtle necks.
ANDROID OWNS IPHONE
BadCommand
January 14, 2011 at 8:52am
...what the ATT spokesmen forgot to mention is that the peeps have been strung along so long about the Verizon deal (literally years) that virtually nobody knew, nor after so many non-events, believed any rumors about the deal.
I would suggest that ATT should undoubtedly adopt all the new android devices it can, but more importantly address the root cause of why folks are jumping- crappy reception!
ravkal
January 14, 2011 at 11:13pm
I don't think a lot of iphone users are really power-users. The image of the iphone is a simple phone that can do just about anything you'd want it to, and that's what most everyone sees it as, given that it's gone through four renditions and looks about the same, is called the same thing, and carries all that fanbase with it.
I can name specs for a dozen android phones off the top of my head, but I've no clue about the iphone. This is because people who use high-end android phones are not typically like the standard iphone user.
The point I'm trying to make is that a lot of those new customers for AT&T probably had no idea that the iphone was going to verizon. I would also wager a majority of them don't understand the difference in service and will therefore not switch.
Tl;dr, sheeple.
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