AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega has hinted that the operator’s exclusive deal to offer the iPhone in the US could soon be coming to an end – but was upbeat that the firm’s smartphone portfolio would continue to prosper. “We have a legacy of having a great portfolio… that will continue after the iPhone is no longer exclusive to us,” de la Vega told analysts on AT&T’s third-quarter earnings call yesterday, reports Computerworld. The Apple device played a key role in the strong showing at AT&T’s mobile unit in Q3, a period which saw it activate a record 3.2 million iPhones. However, de la Vega talked up successes elsewhere in its smartphone portfolio. “We feel really good about our non-iPhone [subscriber] adds and net adds… We feel really strong about our portfolio in quick messaging devices, including BlackBerry and all the smartphones.” He also hinted at a greater focus on devices based on Google’s Android platform, claiming that Android phones work “much better on AT&T than on anybody else’s network.”

The US is one of the few remaining markets where the iPhone is tied to an exclusive operator. However, as the iPhone is a GSM/WCDMA/HSPA device it appears unlikely that CDMA-based competitors Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel will be able to offer it once AT&T’s exclusivity period expires, leaving fourth-placed operator T-Mobile as the most likely major new carrier. “Even if we lose exclusivity [of the iPhone], we will be the only carrier with HSPA 7.2 [a network specification being deployed at AT&T] and [new devices] will work on our network faster,” de la Vega added.