Skip to main content

Apple hits new heights with increased iPhone sales, iPad continues to slump

apple encryption court order news logo
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Apple has announced another record quarter earlier today, releasing financial results for the fourth quarter of the fiscal 2015 year, ending on Sept 26.

The Cupertino-based tech giant reported 28 percent annual revenue growth to $238 billion. In the fourth quarter, it reported $51.5 billion in revenue and a net profit of $11.1 billion, a large improvement over the $42.1 billion in revenue and $8.5 billion in net profit the company reported for the corresponding period last year. To put that in perspective, Apple’s revenue matches the GDP of Greece, the 44th largest economy in the world.

Recommended Videos

“This continued success is the result of our commitment to making the best, most innovative products on earth, and it’s a testament to the tremendous execution by our teams,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We are heading into the holidays with our strongest product lineup yet.”

In the report, Apple estimates $75.5 to $77.5 billion in revenue next year, 40 percent gross margin, $6.3 to $6.4 billion in operating expenses, and $400 million in “other” expenses.

The iPhone continues to be the breadwinner for Apple, but the company also reported an increase in Apple Watch and Mac sales, alongside more App Store purchases. The iPad remains a sore point on the company’s portfolio, though, as it continues to decline in sales.

The iPad Pro might be able to fix some of the decline, but the 12.9-inch tablet is focused on professional users, not regular consumers. Cook said in an interview earlier this year that iPad owners were hanging onto their tablets for much longer periods, compared to their iPhones, which is why sales are in decline.

Apple reported that 62 percent of its sales came from countries outside of the United States. China played a large part in the growth of international sales, but the company is struggling to reach the top spot in that country, with Huawei currently holding the throne.

Next year, Apple wants to engage customers in India and start sales in Iran. It is working with Foxconn and other energy suppliers in China to build huge solar farms, capable of powering all manufacturing lines by 2020.

David Curry
Former Digital Trends Contributor
David has been writing about technology for several years, following the latest trends and covering the largest events. He is…
My first week with the iPad mini (2024) was fantastic and frustrating
Rear shell view of the 2024 iPad mini.

The iPad mini is arguably the most polarizing product in Apple’s portfolio. There’s a segment of die-hard fans that would pick it over any other device in its class, and then there’s another group that can’t quite figure out what exactly it can deliver in terms of meaningful utility.

Reading? Check. Is it good for note-taking? It’s probably the world’s best little diary. What about gaming? It can blaze past the best titles out there. All that excellence can be yours for a cool $500, at the very minimum.

Read more
Apple Intelligence is coming to these languages in April
Apple Intelligence on the Apple iPhone 16 Plus.

Public access to certain features of Apple Intelligence is rolling out to users with the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS 15.1 updates. However, even if you are fortunate enough to gain early access, the service is currently only available in U.S. English in select countries. That is expected to change in the coming weeks and months.

According to GSMArena, Apple plans to add local English variants in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. in December. Most recently, it was confirmed that starting in April and continuing throughout 2025, Apple Intelligence will gain support for Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. April is also when the EU will see its first Apple Intelligence release.

Read more
Apple Intelligence features are finally available for everyone
Apple Intelligence & Siri screen on an iPhone 16 Pro

Apple has begun rolling out Apple Intelligence to those with eligible iPhones through the latest iOS 18.1 update. Apple Intelligence was originally shown off during WWDC 2024 in June and has been available to those on the developer and public betas. However, as of today, iOS 18.1 is available to everyone, though Apple Intelligence is only available for the iPhone 15 Pro models and the entire iPhone 16 lineup.

With iOS 18.1, those users can now access several Apple Intelligence features, including Writing Tools, a more natural and capable Siri, summarize notifications, a smarter Photos app, and priority messages in Mail. Be aware that these are just a fraction of Apple Intelligence features — there are even more AI tools coming in iOS 18.2, which is currently in beta.

Read more