The Register: ‘Apple’s [sic] Takes Flak as AT&T Drops iPhone Bomb’

The Register:

AT&T’s declaration that only 146,000 Apple iPhones registered on its network in the first two days it was on the market has led to widespread shock at what is now being seen as the device’s failure and a down period for Apple shares, sliding 7.5 per cent over a few days last week, a fall of some $10bn in total market capitalisation.

What is it about this “146,000 activations” number that has rotted out the minds of the business press? If you care about opening weekend iPhone sales, the number that matters is 270,000, which is how many phones Apple sold. As for the effect on Apple’s stock price since the iPhone went on sale, the stock is up. It closed at $122 on June 29; as I type this it’s at $137.

★ Tuesday, 31 July 2007