AT&T claims half a million iPad users

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia XIX Conference, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said about half a million iPad owners use AT&T’s data service to connect to the internet, according to a Reuters report. AT&T is the only U.S. carrier currently offering cellular data service for the iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G; Apple said it sold 3.27 million iPads—a number that includes both 3G and Wi-Fi only models—in the second quarter alone. “Half a million at this point would seem low,” said Pacific Crest analyst Steve Clement, while suggesting that many iPad purchasers aren’t bothering to connect their devices to AT&T’s network, relying on Wi-Fi instead. Stephenson also said he was excited for the company’s Q3 sales of smartphones such as the iPhone. “In the third quarter we’re on pace to set a record for integrated devices,” Stephenson said.