Citing unnamed Apple sources, BGR posted unit sales totals purported from five Apple stores, including two "very, very prominent" locations. The numbers show Verizon Wireless and AT&T iPhone 4 sales during the Verizon iPhone's first five days of availability (starting Thursday, February 10):
Thursday: Verizon = 909, AT&T = 539
Friday: Verizon = 916, AT&T = 680
Saturday: Verizon = 660, AT&T = 471
Sunday: Verizon = 796, AT&T = 701
Monday: Verizon = 711, AT&T = 618
The figures suggest an early rush of Verizon iPhone 4 sales that quickly dissipated. By Sunday, February 13, Verizon's iPhone sales were only slightly higher than AT&T's. Online pre-orders for the Verizon iPhone 4 totaled about 550,000 units, BGR reports.
If consumer response to the Verizon iPhone is somewhat disappointing, what's the most likely reason? You can take your pick of possible explanations, including a cold spell across the eastern half of the U.S. that reduced foot traffic at Apple's brick-and-mortar locations, or the healthy number of Verizon iPhone preorders online.
Or perhaps iPhone fans are more savvy than slavish. Many have probably heard that the will arrive this summer. Revelation! It's smarter to wait a few months and get the latest iPhone on Verizon (assuming it's available), rather than commit to a two-year contract with last year's model.
Oh, one other interesting tidbit from BGR on who has bought Verizon iPhones thus far: 30 percent were Android users; 25 percent migrated from BlackBerry; and just 14 percent were AT&T iPhone owners. The rest either didn't have a smartphone or other mobile handset, or simply didn't say.