IPhone 7 orders at T-Mobile, Sprint jump over earlier models

THE NEW Apple Inc. iPhone 7 is displayed during an event in San Francisco on Wednesday, Sept. 7. / BLOOMBERG NEWS PHOTO/DAVID PAUL MORRIS
THE NEW Apple Inc. iPhone 7 is displayed during an event in San Francisco on Wednesday, Sept. 7. / BLOOMBERG NEWS PHOTO/DAVID PAUL MORRIS

NEW YORK – T-Mobile US Inc. and Sprint Corp. have received almost four times as many orders for Apple Inc.’s iPhone 7 than previous iPhone models, a sign the device may be well received and the carriers’ new unlimited data plans may be gaining popularity.

In a series of tweets Tuesday, T-Mobile’s CEO John Legere called the iPhone pre-order period the biggest in the company’s history. The company is also seeing subscribers switching from the three other major carriers — Verizon Communications Inc., AT&T Inc. and Sprint, he said. T-Mobile reported orders over four days and Sprint over three days.

The early enthusiasm for the iPhone 7 could be good news for Apple, which is in need of a strong sales cycle for its flagship device. The iPhone accounts for about 64 percent of Apple’s total sales. T-Mobile’s comments are the first glimpse of how the iPhone 7 is being received, given its controversial lack of a headphone jack and the fact that Apple has already forecast a third consecutive quarter of revenue declines. The carrier’s reports are being watched closely because Apple has said it won’t disclose weekend sales number for the first time.

“This is definitely a positive turn for iPhone volumes,” said Shawn Harrison, an analyst with Longbow Research. “IPhone volume and sales are historically coordinated to Apple’s stock price.”

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Apple rose as much as 2.5 percent to $107.61 in early trading in New York after T-Mobile’s tweets and accompanying statement. T-Mobile and Sprint were little changed.

T-Mobile has unlimited data plans that start at $70 a month for one user and as low as $160 for a family of four during a promotional period. Sprint’s unlimited plan starts at $60 a month and also offers families of four a promotional price of $160 a month. Both plans were introduced earlier this month.

E-mails sent to Verizon and AT&T seeking comment on their pre-orders weren’t immediately returned.

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