AT&T: iPhone Business Slower, Still Strong

Recession or not, there are plenty of people still willing to plunk down $199 or more for a high-end phone. Especially if it’s Apple’s iPhone: AT&T reports that it activated more than 1.6 million iPhones in the last quarter.

If you’re a glass half-empty sort, you could note that the number is down from 1.9 million in the last quarter of 2008, and down from 2.4 million in the quarter before that. But AT&T (T) isn’t complaining. It happily notes that its iPhone customers spend a lot more on their phone bills than their average subscribers–about 1.6 times more per month–and are less likely to  leave.

We’ll get a more complete snapshot of the iPhone’s performance this afternoon, when Apple (AAPL) delivers its earnings report card. I’ll cover the earnings call, scheduled for 5 p.m. Eastern time, live.