Apple made $11.6 billion in the three months to the end of March, nearly double the $6 billion it made in the same quarter last year.
Revenue for the quarter was $39.2 billion, an increase of 88% on last year. The iPhone, yet again, was the star performer. Sales of 35 million, an 88% increase on last year, for the quarter came as a surprise to many analysts, who had predicted a lower figure.
The iPad recorded a 151% increase year-on-year, with sales of 11.8 million, despite the highly-anticipated launch of a new model at the end of the quarter. That figure was described by some as disappointing in comparison with the 15.4 million iPads sold in the October-December quarter, and was at the lower end of analyst expectations. That analysis ignores, however, that the previous quarter featured the bust Christmas shopping season and was a week longer than this one.
We’re thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter,’ Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. ‘The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you’re going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver.’
Mac sales also grew year-on-year, though only by 7%, to record a figure of 4 million. That’s the smallest annual growth in several years. There hasn’t been a new Mac launch for several months hover, and most commentators expect new iMacs and Mac minis featuring Intel’s recently-launched Ivy Bridge chips, to ship in the next few months.
During a conference call with analysts after the announcement, Cook explained that the ‘primary factor’ in the lower growth of Mac sales was the stunning figures recorded a year ago. In that quarter, Mac sales grew by 28% year-on-year.
Apple’s much-discussed cash pile grew by $14 billion during the quarter. The company’s stock rose by 6.8% in after-hours trading.
