Apple's profits of $7.7bn in June quarter
The California-based company posted a profit of $7.7bn on revenue of $37.4bn in the three months to June, an increase of 11.6% from a year ago.
Apple said it sold 35.2m iPhones in the quarter, a rise of nearly 13% from the same period last year.
"Our record June quarter revenue was fuelled by strong sales of iPhone and Mac and the continued growth of revenue from the Apple ecosystem, driving our highest earnings per share growth rate in seven quarters," Apple's Chief Executive Tim Cook said in an earnings release.
Apple also declared a cash dividend of 47 cents a share of common stock to be paid at the close of business on 11 August.
In a disappointment, Apple said iPad sales fell 9.2% from a year ago to 12.27m, a figure weaker than most analysts had expected. The softer demand for iPads hurt revenues, which were below the consensus forecast of nearly $38bn.
No talk of new iPhone already being manufactured
The earnings release, as expected, contained no hint of any new iteration of the popular iPhone despite numerous reports that Apple is preparing versions with a larger display and that these device are already being manufactured
A US patent made public on this wee bolstered rumours that Apple has designs on a smartwatch. The patent describes a wrist band, possibly with a touch screen, configured to connect wirelessly to a mobile device such as a smartphone.
Disclosure of the patent added fuel to talk that Apple intends to join the wearable computing market with a smartwatch.
Apple has remained tight-lipped about product plans, but Cook has stated repeatedly that impressive new products were in the works and that he sees the wrist as a preferred spot for a wearable computing gadget.
Cook said that he was "incredibly excited" about new operating systems in the works "as well as other new products and services that we can't wait to introduce," but did not elaborate.
Apple's recent deal with China Mobile, the world's biggest mobile carrier, is expected to help lift iPhone sales globally at a time when the rival Google Android system has grabbed about 80% of the market.
In the United States, Apple is stronger: according to the research firm eMarketer, the iPhone's share of the smartphone market is likely to increase to 40.5% this year.
The research firm IDC said Apple remained the largest global tablet vendor in the first quarter but that its market share slid from 40.2% last year to 32.5% this year.
Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge
