Sales of the iPhone 6 have boosted Apple profits, yet publishers will raise eyebrows at the continued slowing of iPad sales as they continue on a downward trajectory.
Apple posted fourth quarter revenues of US$42.1 billion to September 27, up from US$37.5bn in the same period last year with iPhone sales accounting for the bulk of the income. 33.8 million iPhone handsets were shifted, six million more than the year previous, while 60% of those sold outside the US.
As iPhone 6 sales drove sales, sales of the iPad have slipped year-on-year. 14.1m iPads sold in the fourth quarter 2013, while 12.3m were acquired during this quarter. The slowing of tablet sales is not unique to Apple. Market predictions from the likes of Gartner suggest that tablet sales will be down by at least 11% this year. However, CEO Tim Cook said Apple perceives the dip as a "speedbump and not a huge thing" and went onto note that he personally sees a "great future" for the iPad.
Apple also noted that the latest figures, which beat analyst forecasts by more than US$1.2 billion, did not include sales in China where the iPhone 6 is yet to be launched.
Cook continued: “With amazing innovations in our new iPhones, iPads and Macs, as well as iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, we are heading into the holidays with Apple’s strongest product lineup ever. We are also incredibly excited about Apple Watch and other great products and services in the pipeline for 2015.”
Apple’s board of directors declared a cash dividend of $.47 per share of the company’s common stock. Meanwhile it expects revenue of somewhere between US$63.5 billion and US$66.5 billion for its first fiscal quarter 2015.
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