iPhone 4 remains top-selling smartphone in U.S.

PanARMENIAN.Net - Even as rumors of Apple's fifth-generation iPhone persist ahead of an anticipated launch, sales of the iPhone 4, first released in 2010, reportedly continue to top the competition at both AT&T and Verizon.

Apple Insider reports that analyst T. Michael Walkley with Canaccord Genuity revealed in a note to investors that checks with U.S. carriers indicate that sales of the iPhone 4 remain on top ahead of the iPhone 5 debut, despite the fact that the iPhone 4 is more than a year old.

"Our checks indicated strong sales of the iPhone 4, as it remained the top selling smartphone at AT&T and Verizon despite increasing consumer expectations for the iPhone 5 launch," he wrote. "During the holiday season, we anticipate strong sales of the iPhone 5, as we anticipate a strong global launch with increased distribution to new carriers including Sprint in the U.S. market."

Walkley's research found that the iPhone 4 remained the top-selling handset at both AT&T and Verizon in August. In addition, the $50 entry-level $50 iPhone 3GS was the second strongest selling handset at AT&T. Verizon does not offer the iPhone 3GS.

The iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS beat out the $200 Samsung Infuse 4G, which was the third-best selling handset at AT&T. And at Verizon, the Samsung Charge 4G came in second, while the HTC Thunderbolt 4G was third.

In addition to strong sales of the iPhone 4, he also found that the 3G-capable iPad 2 is the top-selling tablet at both AT&T and Verizon, which are the only two carriers that offer the iPad in the U.S.