Demand looked like it was going to be heavier than ever leading up to iPhone 5 preorder availability on Friday, and that was indeed the case. AT&T (T) became the first carrier on Monday morning to announce that pre-sales of Apple’s (AAPL) new iPhone 5 set a new record, making it the carrier’s fastest-selling iPhone to date. Apple unveiled the iPhone 5 on September 12th during a press conference in San Francisco, and the phone will launch in the U.S. and other key markets on September 21st. AT&T announced last year that it sold more than 200,000 iPhone 4S handsets during the device’s first 12 hours of availability, but it failed to give pre-sales figures for the iPhone 5. The carrier merely stated that Apple’s new smartphone was its fastest-selling iPhone so far on both the first day of pre-sales availability and over the weekend. AT&T’s full press release follows below.
AT&T SETS SALES RECORD FOR IPHONE 5
Most Successful iPhone Launch Ever
DALLAS, Sept. 17, 2012 — AT&T* set a sales record with iPhone 5 over the weekend, making it the fastest-selling iPhone the company has ever offered. Customers ordered more iPhones from AT&T than any previous model both on its first day of preorders and over the weekend.
iPhone 5 is still available for preorder at www.att.com/iphone and will be available in AT&T retail stores beginning at 8 am local time on Friday, September 21.
AT&T offers a number of advantages for iPhone 5 customers.
· AT&T’s network lets you talk and surf the web at the same time.
· Largest 4G Network. Customers get blazing-fast speeds on the nation’s largest 4G network, covering 275 million people.
· Flexible Rate Plans. AT&T doesn’t force customers to switch data plans to get the best device price when they upgrade to a new device and new AT&T customers aren’t forced into a certain plan; they have the flexibility to choose from one of several individual or Mobile Share plans.
More customers choose AT&T for iPhone than any other U.S. carrier.
For more information on iPhone 5, please visit: www.att.com/iphone.
