AT&T earnings top expectations - thanks to the iPhone?

First-quarter results are in for communications giant AT&T (T), so let's take a look at the numbers. AT&T reported first-quarter earnings of 53 cents per share compared to 57 cents per share a year ago. The company saw its earnings lowered a nickel by non-cash pension and retiree benefit costs, which was in line with the firm's full-year outlook. Excluding this charge, the company matched the consensus estimate for earnings of 48 cents per share. With quarterly net income dropping, revenue slipped 0.6 percent compared to a year ago. The $30.6 billion in revenue that AT&T logged was slightly lower than the $31.12 billion the Street expected.