According to a Friday report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the 2010 second quarter witnessed the number of new Verizon subscriptions surpassing the new subscriptions for AT&T, which is the exclusive carrier of the Apple iPhone in the US.

As per the statistics forwarded, Verizon reported 665,000 new subscriptions during the quarter, thanks largely to the flock of Google Android-based handsets that have been launched on the carrier; while AT&T reported a net of
496,000 new subscriptions.

The statistics reveal that Verizon has witnessed a 40 percent year-on-year decline in new subscriptions; while AT&T, on the other hand, also apparently did not gain much from the iPhone exclusivity, at least during the second quarter. 

Commenting on the new subscriptions scenario during the quarter, Verizon Chief Financial Officer John Killian said in an interview: “We still see a lot of upside here now that we're in a much better position from a device line-up perspective.”

However, AT&T continues to remain the market leader in terms of total number of subscribers, with nearly 53 percent of its contract subscribers having either a smartphone or messaging devices; vis-à-vis Verizon’s 35 percent.

In addition, the iPhone, highest revenue driver amongst all handsets, has brought about a 3.4 percent increase in the average monthly phone bill for AT&T customers, taking it to $62.63, as against Verizon’s $51.56.