Verizon: We sold 6.2M iPhones in the fourth quarter
And half of those iPhones were able to tap into the 4G LTE network. Overall, Verizon activated 9.8 million smartphones in the period, with nearly a third new to the service.
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Verizon Wireless activated 6.2 million iPhones in the fourth quarter, according to Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo.
A vast majority of the remaining 3.6 million smartphones activated in the period were Android devices, Shammo said during a conference call with analysts today following the release of the company's fourth-quarter earnings report.
Because it got the iPhone late, Verizon has done a better job diversifying its smartphone sales than rival AT&T, which still heavily relies on Apple's flagship smartphone for growth. But with the launch of the
Still, not all sales came from the iPhone 5. Shammo said half of the iPhones were able to tap into the 4G LTE network, suggesting that the other half was made up of the lower priced
A vast majority of Android phones -- 95 percent -- were able to tap into the 4G LTE network.
The company was helped with the debut of several Droid devices in the period, including Motorola's
In total, Verizon activated 9.8 million smartphones in the period, with 30 percent new to the carrier. Nearly 90 percent of its contract phone sales were smartphones.
The company's focus on its 4G LTE network continues to pay off, with the carrier selling 7.3 million 4G LTE devices in the quarter. Nearly half of its total data traffic now travels over its high-speed network.