Study shows AT&T still dominates iPhone in US with as much as 68 percent of all early sales

Internet analytics company ComScore just revealed record-breaking numbers and carrier sales data for the iPhone 5.

The noteworthy tidbits:

U.S. online pre-orders for the iPhone 5 took just three days to hit 96 percent of the iPhone 4S’ numbers during its entire first month. ComScore disclosed 24 more million Americans owned a smartphone in July 2012, however, compared to October 2011, which likely affected the record sales. It also claimed a “substantial group of consumers held out for the iPhone 5.”

The iPhone 5 is also the fastest-selling iPhone ever offered through AT&T, as the carrier boasted 68 percent of total U.S. online sales for first three days of the iPhone 5’s release (including Apple.com carrier sales). ComScore noted AT&T was an exclusive iPhone carrier for a long time, though, so it made a “safe assumption” that AT&T is “home to the highest share of iPhone enthusiasts.” ComScore also mentioned iPhone 4 owners on AT&T are now eligible for upgrades, where as the iPhone 4 debuted on Verizon in February 2011, for instance, so those consumers are not eligible yet.

The iPhone 5 unveiled Sept. 12 and over 3 million people in the U.S. immediately searched the term “iPhone 5″. The Web experienced 6.3 million searches for term, with 4 million more queries following in the days after.

Get the full report at ComScore.