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Apple revenue at $36B last quarter, sold 26.9 million iPhones
Apple revealed its fiscal year 2012 fourth quarter earnings results Thursday, covering the three month period ending Sept. 29.
The company, which hosted an investor call after the markets closed, posted quarterly revenue of $36 billion for a net profit of $8.2 billion.
During the same time a year ago, Apple posted $28.27 billion in revenue and a net profit of $6.62 billion.
International sales accounted for 60 percent of the company's quarterly revenue.
iPhone leads the charge
Last quarter alone, Apple sold 26.9 million iPhones, a 58 percent unit growth from the same time last year.
The iPhone 5 demand continues to outstrip supply, said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple CFO, and it's moving to fill customer need.
Its figures were only counted for nine days during the quarter, bleeding expectations for its sales figures into the next fiscal reporting period.
While the company mentioned its iOS 6 launch, it said work hasn't stopped fixing one lampooned feature.
"We've made a number of improvements to Maps over the last month and we will not stop until Maps reaches our incredibly high standards," Oppenheimer said.
Fourteen million iPads were moved, jumping 26 percent from the same sales figure in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011, though still far below investor expectations.
Nearly 4.9 million Macs were sold in the quarter (a 1 percent unit increase over last year), while 18 new stores opened worldwide.
Apple recorded a significant drop in iPod sales, selling 5.3 million units, a 19 percent unit decline from last year.
iTunes brought in $2.1 billion in revenue, while the company sold 1.3 million Apple TVs in the fourth quarter. Five million units of its "beloved hobby" were moved during the year.
Looking ahead
For the year alone, the Cupertino company generated revenue of more than $146 billion, accounting for $41 billion in net income. Operating cash flow reached more than $50 billion.
Moving into the December quarter, the company expects about $52 billion in revenue.
The iPhone 5 and iPad mini will lead the new product charge, Cupertino claimed, while lower pricing for the iPhone 4S and third-generation iPad will help the company chop its margins and increase revenue.
"We're dedicated to making the best products in the world," CEO Tim Cook said during the conference call. "We are managing the company for the long run and will continue to make great long range decisions."
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Report claims touch system production problems led to iPad mini price
Even though the iPad mini was released to much fanfare, the $329 (£204/AU$317) price tag makes the tiny tablet noticeably pricier than similar devices its size.
Grumbles are resonating around the web, with many wondering just what Apple was thinking pricing the 7.9-inch tab well above competitors like Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire.
According to a new report, the primary culprit for the mini's pricing is low yield rates for new touchscreen technology called GF DITO (or GF2) found in the slate.
The claim comes from sources speaking with DigiTimes, and though the site is hit or miss on accuracy, this report at least exists in the realm of reality.
Production problems
The new tech allows the mini to measure 23 percent thinner and 53 percent lighter than the full-size iPad. The iPad mini weighs in at 0.68 pounds and is 7.2 millimeters thick - about the same girth as a pencil.
DigiTimes' sources say the DITO film sensors used in the mini have run into mass production issues, making it about 40 percent to 50 percent more expensive that similar 7-inch devices that employ OGS or G/G touch-screen tech.
According to the sources, the GF2 touchscreen modules are actually about $5 (£3.10/AU$4.83) cheaper than the G/G structures Apple still uses for it full-sized 9.7-inch iPads.
DITO for iPad 4
One analyst predicted Wednesday that Apple was seeking to slim down the iPad 4 by putting GF2 tech into the tablet.
That might mean the fourth-gen iPad would become lighter and thinner, but could cause a bigger drag on consumers' wallets.
However, the analyst remarked the skinnier iPad 4 won't make its way to the market until sometime early next year. By that time, Apple may be able to smooth out it production yields and cut costs.
Since the fourth-generation iPad with Retina display debuted at the same price as its predecessor (starting at $499/£309/AU$482), consumers probably wouldn't be too pleased if Apple bumped up the price in exchange for a lighter tablet.
DigitTimes' sources also added the iPad 2 should see strong sales. In fact, the sources said that we might see the second iPad last until the first quarter of 2013.
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