Quote from S2007S:
Analysts took note of the smaller crowds. "It is cold out but it's a surprise that there's not many people showing up for the launch," said BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk, who had visited stores across New York. "They had Verizon store clerks prepared for the masses and the masses just weren't there."
AT&T isn't going to let their customers go that easily. Perhaps Verizon had lackluster sales due to the early termination fee. The sharp drop in AAPL was probably due to the hype surrounding the Verizon stores, and when there were no lines, traders jumped all over it. I didn't buy AAPL, but I am long T.
From the web:
"If you're still under two-year AT&T contract when you decide to switch, AT&T will charge you an Early Termination Fee (ETF), a penalty for canceling your contract early. AT&T's iPhone ETF is $325. That fee is reduced by $10 for each month you've been under contract (e.g., if you've been under contract for 6 months, the ETF is reduced by $60, to $265). If your contract has expired, you're not subject to an ETF, so you'll want to check your contract status with AT&T before beginning the switch."