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Here's why Apple's quarter is not only record shattering - it's historic

Here's why Apple's quarter is not only record shattering - it's historic

Posted: 25 Jan 2012, 02:51, by Victor H.

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Here's why Apple's quarter is not only record shattering - it's historic

Apple has surprised even the boldest optimists with its quarterly results - the company ended up selling 37 million iPhones and 15.4 million iPads eliciting comments as “numbers so big that they almost seem like they should be typos.”

That’s not just a record-breaking quarter - it’s a historic one, we need to put in the perspective of not only the industry but the global market to really see how successful Apple was.

Here’s the breakdown of the facts:

- Apple’s $13 billion profits surpassed Google’s entire revenue of $10.6 billion. Actually, Apple’s profits for the year exceed Google’s revenue for the year as well.

- Apple’s $13 billion profits actually equaled Apple’s own revenue in Q4 2010. Which was only 15 months ago.

- Apple’s quarter is the second strongest in US history, the fourth strongest globally. It’s on that list with 18 other companies. You might notice all of the rest are oil and gas companies.

- Apple’s market cap makes its worth more than whole countries like Greece.

- Apple’s cash reserves now stand at $97.6 billion - which is more than all companies except for the biggest 52.

- Apple’s margins are staggering. While Walmart made nearly double the revenue, Apple had four times the profits.

- Apple’s gross margin for the quarter was 44.7% - so big, it got CFO Peter Oppenheimer stunned impressed and he’s been working at Apple for 15 years.

- iPhone sales double with every new model:

* In 2009, Apple sold more iPhones than it did in 2007 and 2008 combined.

* In 2010, Apple sold more iPhones than it did in 2007, 2008, and 2009 combined.

* In 2011, Apple sold 93.1 million iPhones, slightly more than it did in in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 combined.

- Apple probably outdid Samsung in smartphone sales. With 37 million iPhones, Apple is way ahead of the 35 million Samsung smartphone sales guess.

- Apple is also now back to being the world’s biggest smartphone maker.

- Apple sold more iPads than HP sold personal computers - 15.4 million iPads versus 14.7 million HP computers (Gartner’s estimate)

- The iPad market is now larger than the whole desktop PC market.

- iTunes alone brought 50% more revenue than Yahoo.

Clearly, this was a quarter that will be remembered. Apple is offering a lower guidance for the next quarter for a couple of reasons, but obviously the company is still growing. Could it outdo itself and surpise everyone again in the next quarters? Where it all of this headed for Apple? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

source: Daring Fireball, TechCrunch, @jlgolson

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1. RORYREVOLUTION posted on 25 Jan 2012, 04:28 8 6

Calm down, its impressive but relax.....lol

37. jamrockjones posted on 25 Jan 2012, 11:09 4 1

I just can't believe how much profit margin they have. Does no one else see this as a negative thing but me. All that I see is that your paying for a brand rather than a product!

41. E.N. posted on 25 Jan 2012, 15:19 1 1

I really think people take these things way to seriously. Buy your devices because you enjoy it and it makes you happy. I'm telling you now that people very much enjoy their iPhones. Android is not the best and neither is iOS. If you want customization, go with Android. If you want fluidity and quality applications, go with iOS.

It's fine that you don't understand/like it, but you do have to accept it.

53. BattleBrat posted on 25 Jan 2012, 21:24 0 0

Actually there are apps, like spotify, that are better on android, they are laid out better, the whole "quality apps" argument has gone out the window.

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2. kylie posted on 25 Jan 2012, 04:32 9 10

the biggest reason was the death of steve job which was a free huge ad campaign for apple

33. deago78 posted on 25 Jan 2012, 09:59 4 3

Kind of s**tty to say even if you hate apple.

38. downphoenix posted on 25 Jan 2012, 12:03 2 3

its the truth though.

57. kylie posted on 26 Jan 2012, 08:39 0 0

its not about hate popy. its a big factor. all news papers , media agencies praised apple and steve jobs. It created a huge buzz about apple....

51. Lucas777 posted on 25 Jan 2012, 17:36 0 1

is it just me or have i not seen one add from apple over steve jobs?... somehow i doubt they are sitting in the board room praising his death

3. c.hack posted on 25 Jan 2012, 04:46 8 8

Samsung makes commercials
Apple makes iPhones.

Lol

4. sgogeta4 posted on 25 Jan 2012, 05:06 11 9

You're a retard. Without Samsung, the iPhone would not exist since half the parts are made from Samsung.

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7. c.hack posted on 25 Jan 2012, 06:49 8 13

And your a douchebag. Without Apple, Samsung would not know how to even make a phone - all they know how to do is copy American products.

10. andro. posted on 25 Jan 2012, 06:54 11 3

Many many current companies have been making phones long before apple so your comment is not only ridiculous but hilarious,your ifan stupidity level certainly is without question.

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14. ryq24 posted on 25 Jan 2012, 07:17 4 10

without apple samsung will not have any idea how to make a smartphone or design one at that. samsung just copied what apple does.

15. andro. posted on 25 Jan 2012, 07:31 2 2

Hmmmm......these article seems to show facts of samsung making phones years before apple decided to make one and brought new innovating tech and ideas even in those periods

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Telecommunications

and articles like these

http://www.physorg.com/news2736.html

http://www.gizmag.com/go/5848/

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44. 530gemini posted on 25 Jan 2012, 15:58 3 2

@andro. Is that why Samsung's bada os is the most successful os in the world?

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43. 530gemini posted on 25 Jan 2012, 15:57 1 1

@sgo. Without Samsung, Apple will just have to get their parts somewhere else :)

6. andro. posted on 25 Jan 2012, 06:46 5 3

Apple actually makes very little of the iphone itself,most parts come from LG or Samsung,but being an ifan your under the mental illusion apple makes everything. Apple did design the iphone antenna which has been proven to be faulty,dropping calls or creating silent calls so rejoice,one of their main designs for the phone is its biggest flaw!

9. c.hack posted on 25 Jan 2012, 06:53 2 4

Its no secret that most products we buy are Manufactured in Asia, but most of the price of an iPhone stays in the USA. The design, engineering, profits, etc., are in the U.S.

As for the antenna, the 4s corrected the iPhone 4 mistake. I have a 4s and 2 Droid Incredible 2's in the family and the 4s always, always has a stronger signal, and it does not drop calls where the DI2's do.

The iPhone is not perfect, but it is far better than any of the many many Android phones I have used.

12. andro. posted on 25 Jan 2012, 06:56 5 1

Work in the phone industry for any length of time and you will see complaints from customers of all phone models including the 4s that reception is much poorer on their iphone compared to other phones they've had

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