iPhone about prestige for smaller carriers

GigaOM talked to Pat Riordan, CEO of regional carrier Cellcom, about the iPhone and why this small wireless provider decided to add Apple's smartphone to its lineup. Cellcom is one of seven small carriers that started carrying the iPhone earlier this year.

According to Riordan, selling the iPhone is not just about numbers; it's also about prestige. The iPhone is desirable to customers, who were leaving Cellcom to get the Apple handset elsewhere. Riordan said, "We know our sales had been falling between the end of the year and April, and we think not having the iPhone was the reason."

While Verizon and AT&T sell millions of iPhones each quarter, Cellcom won't disclose how many iPhones it has sold, but the CEO did confirm the handset was attracting new customers who come into stores because they see an iPhone on display.