Verizon CEO: iPhone Sales Are Strong, Thanks [Verizon CEO Denounces Rumors That iPhone Sales On His Network Were Poor, Says Most People Ordered Online]

Posted on TFTS by Kevin Schram on Saturday, 26. February 2011 under: Mobile/Cell Phones

All signals from the outside seemed to indicate that the launch of the Verizon iPhone wasn’t this mass exodus from AT&T to Verizon like you may have thought. And even we wrote about the launch at the Mall of America Apple Store, where just two people were waiting in line. But, sales were strong according to Daniel Mead, the (relatively new) CEO of Verizon Wireless. Mead chatted with the Wall Street Journal and tried to battle the notion that the Verizon iPhone wasn’t selling well.

While Mead said that the company wouldn’t announce specific numbers until their next earnings report, he did say that reports of poor says were greatly exaggerated. He added that over 60% of initial Verizon iPhone sales were online, which lead to the small lines you saw at the brick-and-mortar Apple and Verizon stores. Mead added that they’re expecting to expand the number of Verizon stores that sell the iPhone, so that should help daily sales of the phone.

Mead repeated the line we’ve heard before from Verizon execs – even though they have the iPhone, they’ll still continue to support Android and BlackBerry. And he even added eventually, Windows Phone 7. Some Verizon execs have previously been publicly less than excited for Windows Phone 7 – so it’s something different to see Mead mention it.

Will Verizon carry a Nokia WP7 device? According to the WSJ, after Mead heard about the Nokia-Microsoft deal, he called Elop and congratulated him, then asked to hear about the company’s plans. Does this mean we’ll see Verizon be one of the first to carry a Nokia WP7 device? Historically, we haven’t seen Nokia be too willing to produce CDMA phones – but Elop may be willing to change that at Nokia.

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