“Apple has returned to growth as it sold more expensive iPhones, but the company’s future is less certain than analysts thought,” Anita Balakrishnan reports for CNBC. “The company’s stock popped in after-hours trade following its quarterly earnings report.”
“The iPhone maker reported quarterly earnings and revenue that easily beat analysts’ expectations on Tuesday, but gave future guidance on the lower end of expectations,” Balakrishnan reports. “[Apple expects Q217] revenue of $51.5 billion to $53.5 billion, vs. $53.79 billion expected by Reuters. [However] that’s better than comparable adjusted earnings of $3.28 per share on $75.9 billion in revenue in the year-ago period, breaking a losing streak for the company.”
“CEO Tim Cook said on a conference call with investors there was especially strong demand for the iPhone 7 Plus — Apple’s higher-end model — and that it made up a higher-than-expected share of sales,” Balakrishnan reports. “The Mac also returned to growth, and posted its best sales ever… Shares rose more than 3 percent after hours.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Imagine if they’d had new iPads and 4K Apple TVs for Christmas, too? Apple would likely have posted revenue of over $80 billion!
All-tim record indeed!
I think the MDN take is right. I can’t help but think this is in spite of Mr Cook, not because.
I see the chomping on Cook by people who couldn’t get an interview at Apple for an administrative assistant job as weak.
The Executives & Board of Directors at Apple see all the interim numbers and the ongoing development plans that go out 10 years into the future.
They know of the failed developments that didn’t work out and the coming technology that hasn’t been announced yet.
They know the “hail merry” projects to develop breakthroughs and know that only 1 in 10 might work.
If a CEO or VP is not working out in their position, the BoD will take action if the CEO does not.
The constant drumbeat of Cook not knowing what to do or what is happening is simply wrong.
You can’t “invent” a new major earthshaking product every 5-6 years. It is just impossible unless you rush it in a half assed way like some companies who go BK or pull the product after failures in the filed.
Apple has done things better than most tech. companies and I think they will continue. No I don’t work for them. I just use the products non stop. They work. They rarely fail. They let me get work done easier and faster.
You make a very good case and one I’ve tried to make too. But you can also test the loyalty of certain Apple segments by taking too long or presuming to market products that force Apple thinking on pro customers for example, instead of letting pro customers pick the things they need most. Or pick non-upgradeable designs on very expensive machines.
I share all of your positive (& desirable) work experiences with Apple products which is what makes some of our disappointments and Apple’s lateness in upgrades very difficult to deal with. But there is an irrefutable barrier at some point between need and what Apple offers and there is no reasons for having barriers at all. If Jony Ives were a vampire I would wrap the Mac Pro design department in garlic.
“But you can also test the loyalty”
I don’t even think it’s as light as “testing” the loyalty. I think they’re looking directly at those who don’t see iOS as the logical future and saying “move on”.
“If you want a Mac because they’re “cool” and they help you with organizing content for your iOS devices,” they seem to say, “we’ve got one for you! You want to develop apps for iOS? Here’s your solution right here. If you want a Mac to have specs rivaling the latest highest end Windows systems.. well this is all you’re getting.”
Instead of buying a Mac with Alienware or Razer specs, it feels like Apple would rather you just get one of those.
I say this as someone who have helped others move on to other platforms. The transition takes a little time, but they end up being happier with a system that has EXACTLY the high end features they want whenever they want it to have (via upgrades).
They could have waited to see if Apple would turn back to the Mac, and if Apple ever does, they may switch back, but for now, they’re no longer bothered by whatever Apple’s doing 🙂
for interesting take on buyback controversy – see:
http://seekingalpha.com/article/4040495-apple-repurchase-program-positive-effects
This may be their peak though and with Tim going off the left wing deep end by threatening legal action, this may be as good a time as any to just take profits and sell off.
Dear Haters, Apple overtook Samsung to become the world’s largest smartphone vendor in the fourth quarter of 2016 as shipments reached 439 million units.
Dear Haters: You’re fired !
But Apple is doomed, right?
They are doomed because no matter HOW much they make or HOW large they become, the law of numbers says I can ALWAYS have the option of saying “BUT THEY COULD HAVE BEEN EVEN LARGER ANND MADE EVEN MORE!”
If they had just done what I wanted, they’d easily be an even larger largest company in the world.