Verizon doubles iPhone sales to 4.2M

Verizon Wireless announced today that it sold 4.2 million iPhones in the fourth quarter of 2011, more than twice as many Apple devices as it sold in the previous quarter.

Unfortunately, the numbers aren’t all positive, mostly because Verizon heavily subsidizes its devices to its customers, then makes up its cost over time as customers continue to pay their monthly bill. This is why Verizon is stating that their fourth quarter should show a decline of 6% in the company’s profit margins.

Apple’s is set to report its earning on Jan. 24, where we will likely hear the total number of iPhones sold during the holiday quarter. We’ll also likely hear specific numbers from AT&T and Sprint over the next few weeks. Last quarter’s total amount of iPhones will likely break Apple’s all time record of phones sold in a quarter with some experts putting estimates as high as 35 million. Stay tuned.