Apple may not have reached its goal of selling 10 million iPhone 3Gs yet, but the company has spurred a large number of consumers to abandon their carriers and flock to AT&T, the exclusive mobile carrier for the iPhone in the U.S.

News reports are circulating that predict Apple is nearing the sale of the 10 millionth iPhone 3G. Apple hasn’t confirmed the rumor, but analysts said it’s possible. Apple sold one million of the devices in the first weekend after its introduction.

“Apple executed well. The company took sufficient instance to build up enthusiasm prior to launch. They launched two successful iterations of the device. They managed to get the device sold in more than 20 countries. And they’ve become a player in the market,” said Michael Gartenberg, vice president of mobile strategy for Jupitermedia.

Verizon Loses to AT&T

While the tech world waits for Apple to report the 10 million iPhone 3G mark,

the NPD Group has reported that 30 percent of U.S. consumers who purchased Apple’s iPhone 3G from June through August switched to AT&T from other mobile carriers.

Nearly half (47 percent) of new AT&T iPhone customers who switched carriers came from Verizon Wireless. Another 24 percent switched from T-Mobile, and 19 percent switched from Sprint, according to the NPD’s iPhone 3G Report.

“The launch of the lower-priced iPhone 3G was a boon to overall consumer smartphone sales,” said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for the NPD Group. “While the original iPhone additionally helped win customers for AT&T, the faster network speeds of the iPhone 3G have proven more appealing to customers that already had access to a 3G network.”

iPhone Gains 17 Percent of Market

Before the iPhone 3G’s launch, iPhone sales made up a mere 11 percent of the smartphone market. Since the launch, Apple has…

Orginal post by Mike

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