Verizon confirms the rumors in the United States: T-Mobile remains silent

Verizon has reported figures suggesting a low demand for iPhones in the United States, despite the introduction of the new iPhone 16e at the end of the first quarter of 2025. The telecommunications company has observed a drop in postpaid phone sales.

The drop in postpaid phone additions

During the first quarter of 2025, Verizon reported a decrease of 289,000 net additions in postpaid phones, which exceeded analysts' expectations. This is especially significant considering the company had anticipated a smaller drop. The decrease was more pronounced compared to last year, when the loss was 194,000 units.

The most concerning data is that Verizon's postpaid upgrade rate fell to 2.8%, representing the lowest figure in recent years. The company noted a rebound in sales in April. However, these results reflect a continuing trend of low growth in smartphone demand, especially in the case of iPhones.

Analysts and the impact on the smartphone market

UBS analysts highlight that Verizon's poor performance is a clear and symptomatic sign that smartphone demand is moderate in the United States. As one of the main distributors of iPhones in the country, Verizon is considered a reliable barometer for measuring the demand for these devices. With approximately 70% of iPhones sold in the USA through carriers, the drop in Verizon's postpaid phone additions could reflect a lower purchase of iPhones.

"The weak upgrade results and nearly stagnant equipment revenues suggest that the smartphone market in the U.S. remains slow, which could impact Apple's sales, which heavily depend on this market," noted the analysts led by David Vogt in a recent note.

Additional factors and future expectations

Despite the low sales numbers in the first quarter, Verizon reported a marginal increase of 0.7% in wireless equipment revenues. Thus, it reached 5.398 billion dollars, which exceeded expectations. However, this small rebound has not been enough to alleviate concerns about the future of smartphone sales in the United States.

Verizon also commented that reports on the early purchase of iPhones due to April tariffs did not have a significant impact on their sales metrics. The additional units shipped were added to Verizon's inventory rather than being sold directly to customers.

The future of Verizon and the smartphone industry in general will depend on how these trends evolve in the coming quarters. Carriers like Verizon may have to adapt to these new conditions to maintain their market share.