BT Bet on Apple's Most Expensive iPhone Has Yet to Pay Off

Mobile unit EE reports fewer customer additions than last year
U.K. phone carrier to appeal court decision on pension formula

A customer holds an Apple Inc. iPhone X smartphone during the sales launch at a store in New York, U.S., on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017. The $1,000 price tag on Apple Inc.'s new iPhone X didn't deter throngs of enthusiasts around the world who waited -- sometimes overnight -- in long lines with no guarantee they would walk out of the store with one of the coveted devices.Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg

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By Thomas Seal

February 2, 2018 at 2:34 AM EST

Updated on

February 2, 2018 at 6:26 AM EST

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BT Group Plc Chief Executive Officer Gavin Patterson bet big on Apple’s most expensive iPhone. The wager has yet to pay off.

After spending millions on commercials featuring actor Kevin Bacon and singer Ed Sheeran to advertise new Apple products, BT’s mobile unit EE posted only small quarterly customer gains. Some analysts had hoped for for a bigger payback from subsidising the purchases of the 1,000-pound ($1,422) Apple iPhone X and 400-pound Apple Watch 3.

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