ATT vs Verizon, Neck and Neck

[MrX8503]

The battle between Verizon and ATT is heating up.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/22/...stomers-than-atandt-in-q3-race-for-first-pla/

ATT: 92.8 million
VZW: 93.2 million

July - Sept.
VZW: +997,000 subscribers
ATT: +2.6 million subscribers

It looks like with the release of the iPhone4, ATT has gained a lot of new subscribers. Obviously anyone who wants an iPhone goes to ATT and Verizon for Android. ATT has Android devices, but the selection is quite small.

It'd be interesting to see how the tables will turn once and if Verizon gets an iPhone on their network.

As for anectdotal evidence, within my family there were 2 iPhone users, one with 3G, the other 3GS. After the iPhone4 release, there are now 4 of us who have iPhones, all iPhone4's.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

i know dozens of folks that picked up iphone 4's as first time iphone users.
granted, most were already on ATT so i guess this point is moot.

 

[Bateluer]

I wonder how big the exodus will be when/if Verizon gets an iPhone?

 

[gregulator]

Let's play a math game!

90,000,000 (customers) * $40 (perhaps the avg phone plan per month) = $3.6 Billion per month for each company! You would think with revenue like that, they could build some amazing networks with few dropped calls and plenty of bandwidth... I wonder how many employees they have? Let's pretend that they have 30,000 employees (ATT listing on Forbes says 190,000 employees, not sure if it is the global total for all ATT divisions) at an average of $50,000 salary, that only eats up $1.5 billion a month....

 

[MrX8503]

I wonder how big the exodus will be when/if Verizon gets an iPhone?

I wonder about this too. Or what would happen to Sprint/Tmobile if Verizon got the iPhone?

I dig Verizon's network, but I would be fearful of their customer service and rising costs.

 

[oznerol]

iPhone exclusivity is the only thing keeping AT&T competitive.

 

[Oyeve]

I wonder about this too. Or what would happen to Sprint/Tmobile if Verizon got the iPhone?

I dig Verizon's network, but I would be fearful of their customer service and rising costs.

Tmo would survive. they actually have more world wide subscribers than VRZ or ATT.

 

[Oyeve]

iPhone exclusivity is the only thing keeping AT&T competitive.

Yeah, if not for the iphone ATT would be gone already.

 

[snikt]

Yeah, if not for the iphone ATT would be gone already.

I would imagine had the iphone originally gone to Verizon, ATT would've done the same thing Verizon did with Android, and that is load up on Android phones. Whether they would've survived or not remains to be seen.

 

[kaerflog]

Don't forget one of the main reason why ATT gain so many subscribers is because of their tier data plan.
Its now $15/month cheaper to own an iphone with you don't use data that much.

 

[yh125d]

Where's sprint lay out in all of this?

 

[Pliablemoose]

The analysts are predicting not much change, most AT&T customers are tied to contracts and many iPhone users have family plans and they have the lowest turn over.

Don't forget that AT&T will continue to carry the iPhone, it just won't be exclusive to AT&T.

I know quite a few people that will get a Verizon iPhone.

Hmmm, an iPhone on Page Plus would be cool...

 

[boomhower]

iPhone exclusivity is the only thing keeping AT&T competitive.

Winner winner chicken dinner. Once VZW gets the iPhone AT&T's market share will start to dwindle. It will take time since a lot of people that want to change are going to be tied up in a contract so it's not going to be overnight but I imagine we will see a steady decline over two years as contracts expire and then it will level off. AT&T is not bad, it's great in a lot of areas. Verizon is just better in more.(data wise)

Where's sprint lay out in all of this?

They are still losing folks left and right. My bet is Sprint will dump the mistake of WiMax, change to LTE, and merge with T-Mobile. Again, this will take several years. That or Sprint will fold. They can't get management that doesn't make retarded decisions. Buying nextel, stupid. Going with Wimax when everyone else is going LTE, stupid. The list goes on.

 

[zerocool84]

The analysts are predicting not much change, most AT&T customers are tied to contracts and many iPhone users have family plans and they have the lowest turn over.

Don't forget that AT&T will continue to carry the iPhone, it just won't be exclusive to AT&T.

I know quite a few people that will get a Verizon iPhone.

Hmmm, an iPhone on Page Plus would be cool...

I honestly don't think that many people will go over to Verizon just for the iPhone. People are less likely to change carriers than they are to change a phone. Most average people are scared to change carriers.

 

[MichaelHudson]

You also have a lot of people on family plans as well as other family on ATT. That is reason enough for me not to switch.

 

[YoungGun21]

I honestly don't think that many people will go over to Verizon just for the iPhone. People are less likely to change carriers than they are to change a phone. Most average people are scared to change carriers.

Studies have shown otherwise. Lots of people switched to ATT just for the iPhone, and said they would switch back to VZW if it ever got the iPhone.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Verizon is too expensive and ATT has limited internet.

Tmobile only gives me 15% off which is why I am now on Sprint.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Studies have shown otherwise. Lots of people switched to ATT just for the iPhone, and said they would switch back to VZW if it ever got the iPhone.

You'll have the handful of people who didn't get the iPhone 4 and are out of contract switch to pick it up, but you really think people on AT&T will break their contract (by paying the exorbitant ETF), then throw down another $200 to buy another of the same device so they can be on a different carrier?

Verizon ain't THAT much better heh.

 

[Pliablemoose]

You'll have the handful of people who didn't get the iPhone 4 and are out of contract switch to pick it up, but you really think people on AT&T will break their contract (by paying the exorbitant ETF), then throw down another $200 to buy another of the same device so they can be on a different carrier?

Verizon ain't THAT much better heh.

Among my friends, many have delayed renewing their ATT contracts waiting for the iPhone on Verizon and many on Verizon are waiting for the iPhone.

 

[gsaldivar]

iPhone exclusivity is the only thing keeping AT&T competitive.

This.

 

[pm]

Studies have shown otherwise. Lots of people switched to ATT just for the iPhone, and said they would switch back to VZW if it ever got the iPhone.

I'd be surprised to see a sudden mass exodus no matter what people say they would do. That ETF is pretty pricey nowadays. If people bought an iPhone 4 at release (if they could find an iPhone 4 at release), then their ETF would be around $300 early next year. http://mashable.com/2010/05/21/iphone-early-termination-fee/

Even with the theoretical Ebay value of the iPhone 4 being $400+, it is still a bit daunting to pay that $300 ETF only to walk across the street and pay another $200 for a theoretical Verizon iPhone 5.

But this is best-case because most people I know don't sell their phones when they leave a service. They stick them in a drawer and then eventually sell them to a friend for a bargain or just let them gather dust and then give them to charity or something. Almost none of the people that I know ever Ebay them... so for them they'd be looking at $500 to switch to Verizon... I don't see a mass exodus... but maybe.

 

[Dulanic]

I wouldnt go AT&T or Verizon ever. They are sooo expensive for their plans. Im plenty happy with sprint and if I ever am not getting coverage I can roam on verizon for free (never happened yet). But then again I am not willing to pay for a iPhone either, I am happy with a android phone. What costs me $149 /w Sprint would cost me $200-$220 /w the others and none of that 2GB cap crap not to mention getting a nice corporate discount on top of that.

But apples to apples... I just don't understand the amount of people with Verizon and AT&T. I know I know Sprint used to have shit customer service and phones and they are digging their image out of that hole they dug.

 

[Fingolfin269]

These numbers frighten me mainly because I'm worried about Sprint folding. None of the others can come anywhere close to touching the deal I have with Sprint.

 

[Dulanic]

These numbers frighten me mainly because I'm worried about Sprint folding. None of the others can come anywhere close to touching the deal I have with Sprint.

I don't see Sprint folding anytime soon. They are making big strides, they just need to cut their operating expenses but they have been dumping a lot of money into 4G. I can't see anyone touching my deal either. I was tempted to stay with SERO and get the premium but my family has 3 lines and it was cheaper to go with the family plan /w 3 phones with my corp discount. Not to mention i use like 60 minutes with this whole free mobile to mobile.

 

[MrX8503]

The majority of people aren't paying ETFs to switch to ATT to get the iPhone. What's happening is that a lot people who are out of contract are migrating to ATT because of the iPhone. This is what happened to me and many others out of contract users.

I'm not sure how many subs verizon would steal away from ATT as verizon is just as expensive, if not more. I could see the main draw being a better network.