Apple set new all-time R&D spending record last quarter

“Taking a look at Apple’s recently filed Form 8-K, we see that the amount of money Apple spent on R&D this past quarter was up 36% compared to the same quarter a year ago,” Yoni Heisler reports for TUAW.

“Indeed, Apple during the June quarter spent more on R&D than it’s ever spent in any other quarter in company history,” Heisler reports. “Specifically, R&D costs this past quarter came in at $1.6 billion.”

“Now what’s even more interesting is that Apple’s R&D expenditures over the past three months represent 4.2% of the company’s net sales for the quarter. Analyst Walter Piecyk tweeted out yesterday that the last time Apple’s R&D as a percentage of net sales topped 4% was before the first iPhone launched,” Heisler reports. “Without question, Apple certainly has some big plans ahead.”

Read more in the full article here.

10 Comments

  1. Of course R&D is going to increase, look at everything they’re now working on in-house…

    PimeSense – 3D imaging, mapping, and recognition
    Passif – Bluetooth semiconductors
    Authentec – fingerprint/biometric scanner
    Luxvue – LED displays
    Anobit – Flash memory
    Beats – Audio design
    LiquidMetal – Material manufacturing
    GT Advanced – Sapphire manufacturing
    Health related hires – biometric sensors
    GPU related hires – graphics processors
    Radio related hires – antenna design, mobile baseband design
    CPU design
    Industrial design
    Battery chemistry
    MultiTouch digitizers
    Advanced software R&D

    And I’m sure many other areas.

  2. Hi.

    I’m Kim Kook. New CEO of Samsung.
    We are working on the following:

    PimeSense – 3D imaging, mapping, and recognition
    Passif – Bluetooth semiconductors
    Authentec – fingerprint/biometric scanner
    Luxvue – LED displays
    Anobit – Flash memory
    Beats – Audio design
    LiquidMetal – Material manufacturing
    GT Advanced – Sapphire manufacturing
    Health related hires – biometric sensors
    GPU related hires – graphics processors
    Radio related hires – antenna design, mobile baseband design
    CPU design
    Industrial design
    Battery chemistry
    MultiTouch digitizers
    Advanced software R&D

    And many other areas.

    Many many.

    1. Probably more than that. NASA spends most of its money on facilities, operations, and people. Only a relatively small portion is available for true R&D. NASA has been micromanaged by Congress into a jobs shop spanning many districts. Imagine how difficult it is to plan and execute any complex, multi-year mission with an uncertain budget that is defined annually (or just pushed along with a continuing resolution) and micromanaged by line items and directives. For instance, NASA can only send 50 people to a single conference and is limited to a fixed number annually because of irrational Congressional oversight and interference. The stories that could be told…

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