Apple announces record revenue for 2nd quarter FY11

Ahead of today’s 5pm conference call, Apple released its earnings report for the second quarter of fiscal 2011 (otherwise known as the first calendar quarter). Profit number: $5.99B in the quarter. Total revenue for the quarter is US$24.6 billion, versus 13.5B year-over-year. Earnings per diluted share comes in at $6.40, versus $3.33 last year. Forecasting $23B revenue for the next quarter.

Product sales numbers rolled in as follows: 28% up year over year in Macs with 3.76M sold in the quarter, 18.6M iPhones (113% unit growth), 9.02M iPods (including the iPod touch) and 4.69M iPads, including the iPad 2. (The number on iPad sales disclosed via the Samsung lawsuit was thought to be only counting the original iPad, but it may have included the iPad 2 which was supply-constrained.) We were expecting a big Mac number based on the predictions from Gene Munster and sales data from NPD.

You can compare and contrast the actual numbers against the predictions made by Wall Street analysts and top stock bloggers via the compilation done over at Apple 2.0/Fortune Tech.

We’ll be listening in to the conference call and liveblogging all the fun — join in!

Full press release below.

Show full PR text

Apple(R) today announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 second quarter ended March 26, 2011. The Company posted record second quarter revenue of $24.67 billion and record second quarter net profit of $5.99 billion, or $6.40 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $13.50 billion and net quarterly profit of $3.07 billion, or $3.33 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 41.4 percent compared to 41.7 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 59 percent of the quarter’s revenue.
Apple sold 3.76 million Macs during the quarter, a 28 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 18.65 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 113 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 9.02 million iPods during the quarter, representing a 17 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter. The Company also sold 4.69 million iPads during the quarter.
“With quarterly revenue growth of 83 percent and profit growth of 95 percent, we’re firing on all cylinders,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We will continue to innovate on all fronts throughout the remainder of the year.”
“We are extremely pleased with our record March quarter revenue and earnings and cash flow from operations of over $6.2 billion,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “Looking ahead to the third fiscal quarter of 2011, we expect revenue of about $23 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $5.03.”
Apple will provide live streaming of its Q2 2011 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on April 20, 2011 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq211. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.
This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company’s estimated revenue and earnings per share. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company’s reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company’s products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company’s gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company’s need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company’s business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company’s dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company’s international operations; the Company’s reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company’s dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company’s products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company’s sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of other legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 25, 2010, its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 25, 2010, and its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 26, 2011 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Apple announces record revenue for 2nd quarter FY11 originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad held 85% market share in 2010 according to ABI Research

ABI Research’s 2010 analysis of the media tablet market reveals the iPad grabbed a respectable 85 percent market share. Trailing far behind the iPad was the Samsung Galaxy Tab with an eight percent market share and the Archos Internet tablets with a mere two percent market share. There three vendors accounted for 95 percent of all media tablets sold in 2010.

These figures are not surprising considering Apple’s jump on the competition. Launched in early 2010, the iPad kicked off this tablet revolution and other manufacturers have struggled to catch up. According to ABI, tablets will continue to hit retail shelves in large numbers. The market research company predicts manufacturers will ship 40 to 50 million tablets worldwide in 2011.

With an increase in the number of Android tablets hitting the market and the debut of a dedicated tablet version of Android, the iPad 2 will finally have some serious competition. Though Android will make inroads into the tablet market, the iPad 2 is expected to keep the #1 spot for the next few years. Hopefully, we will get a glimpse of these industry leading sales figures later today during Apple’s earnings conference call.

iPad held 85% market share in 2010 according to ABI Research originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TUAW TV Live: Results call preview and this week’s Apple news

When you’re a huge force in the world economy, people tend to pay attention to how well (or how poorly) you’re doing. That’s why TUAW is covering today’s Apple Q2 2011 results call with a special liveblog at 5 PM EDT, and that’s also why TUAW TV Live is on the air two hours early today.

During today’s show, I’ll discuss the expected news from Apple, after which you and I can have a nice chat about the news from our favorite Apple hardware and software vendors. Note that we’re still using the traditional Ustream tools this week. From your Mac or PC, go to the next page by clicking the Read More link at the bottom of this post, and you’ll find a livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to participate by asking questions or making comments. (If you’re having trouble viewing the stream there, you can go directly to the Ustream page for TUAW.)

If you’re driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you’re stuck in traffic, please don’t — keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone and join the chat by downloading the free Ustream Viewing Application. If you’re on an iPad, you should be able to use the Skyfire Browser to watch the stream, although you will not be able to participate in the chat.

We’ll start at about 5 PM ET, so if you’re seeing a prerecorded show, be sure to refresh your browser until you see the live stream. For those of you who are not able to join us for the live edition, you’ll be able to view it later this evening on our TUAW Video YouTube channel and as part of the new TUAW TV Live podcast viewable in iTunes or on any of your Apple devices.

Continue reading TUAW TV Live: Results call preview and this week’s Apple news

TUAW TV Live: Results call preview and this week’s Apple news originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple awarded iPhone 4 design patent

iPhone 4 patent illustrations from Patently AppleThe United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently awarded Apple with 18 fresh patents according to documents released by the government agency this week. Among the 18 new patents, one specifically addresses the design of the iPhone 4.

In the newly granted patent, filed by Apple in September, 2010, the Cupertino company details its flagship mobile device in words and illustrations. The patent covers “the ornamental design for an electronic device with graphical user interface” and depicts the distinctive, minimalist industrial design of the iPhone 4, including the infamous stainless steel antenna that loops around its outer edge. The USPTO also furnished Apple with a similar design patent for the iPod touch released in 2007, patents for iTunes and Apple TV, and a technical patent for a touch display with integrated RFID components.

[via Engadget]

Continue reading Apple awarded iPhone 4 design patent

Apple awarded iPhone 4 design patent originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Blue Yeti Pro Mic stalking audio enthusiasts

Blue Microphones makes outstanding mics for musicians, podcasters and anyone else who needs to capture or transmit audio with great clarity and range. After using one of Blue’s Yeti USB mics at Macworld Expo 2010, I bought one to improve my audio on TUAW TV Live and the TUAW Talkcast. That same mic has also been used for recording voiceovers, screencasts and a commemorative video, and it never fails to amaze me just how good the sound quality is.

For many musicians, however, the Yeti just didn’t do the job since it only had a USB connection. Now Blue has updated the Yeti with a new model, unsurprisingly called the Yeti Pro ($249.95 suggested retail price, available for less through some online sources). The Pro will make audio professionals happy, as it adds analog XLR output, an A-D converter chip, and a separate analog circuit path so it can be used with pro mixers and preamps.

As with the existing Yeti, the Yeti Pro can be used in both studio and desktop environments. The four-position pattern selector knob is still on the mic’s tubular body, providing a way to switch between stereo, cardioid, omnidirectional, and bidirectional pickup patterns. There’s still a mute button, gain control, and volume knob, and the base still has a standard threaded mic stand mount.

Continue reading New Blue Yeti Pro Mic stalking audio enthusiasts

New Blue Yeti Pro Mic stalking audio enthusiasts originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japanese newspaper reports Apple picked Toshiba as sole LCD supplier

A Japanese newspaper report suggests Apple has chosen Toshiba as the sole supplier of its LCD displays for the iPhone. Earlier this year, a circulating rumor suggested Apple had invested US$1.2 billion in a Sharp-owned LCD production plant. The plant would go online in 2012 and provide Apple with an near-exhaustive supply of displays for its mobile devices. This latest report from Japan claims Apple has backed out of this venture, possibly due to an earthquake related disruption in Sharp’s production.

Instead of Sharp, Apple has reportedly turned to Toshiba for its LCD displays. An earlier rumor suggested Apple was also investing US$1 billion in a Toshiba-owned LCD plant, but Toshiba later denied the rumor.

Sharp denies this current rumor claiming the Japanese report “contradicts the facts.” One thing is for sure — Apple has a large paper trail of money that is difficult follow as it secures an ample source of components to meet the growing demand for its mobile products.

[Via AppleInsider]

Japanese newspaper reports Apple picked Toshiba as sole LCD supplier originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad 2 now shipping in 1 to 2 weeks from online stores

It always pays to be patient.

While the iPad 2 had wait times of 4 to 5 weeks at launch, the devices are now shipping in 1 to 2 weeks from the U.S. online store. The ship times are consistent across all models, whether black, white, Verizon, AT&T, or with different storage capacities.

The new shipping times could be due to lower demand, but considering that it is still difficult to purchase an iPad 2 at many Apple Stores, the cause is probably Apple clearing up any production issues.

The new shipping estimates are not only showing up in the American Apple online store, but in Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and Australia online stores as well. European countries are still showing 2 to 3 week estimates, but it’s likely that the shipping times will decrease for the European and Asian markets as well.

[via 9 to 5 Mac]

iPad 2 now shipping in 1 to 2 weeks from online stores originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Macs help Roger Ebert to speak again

Film Critic Roger Ebert has been a long time Mac fan, and now he is depending on his Mac laptop to speak for him. Ebert was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2002, and it was later discovered there was additional cancerous material in his jaw. His lower jaw was removed, and Ebert lost his ability to eat and speak.

Now, Ebert uses the Alex voice, which is built into Mac OS X. Last month, with the help of his wife and some friends, Ebert talked about using the Mac to get his voice back in a TED talk. Note: the video uses Flash and is embedded on the next page.

It’s an inspiring session. Ebert has refused all further treatment for his cancer, and is willing to face whatever comes.

Continue reading Macs help Roger Ebert to speak again

Macs help Roger Ebert to speak again originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AOL’s Patch sites get iPhone app for hyperlocal news

AOL has released an iPhone app for its Patch news sites. Patch.com offers hyperlocal news for more than 800 towns across America. Each location has one editor and uses a collection of freelance writers to report the news.

The idea behind Patch and other hyperlocal sites is that resident editors and writers can fill the void left by cash-strapped local newspapers, which, thanks to declining staff, no longer have the funds to cover all of the latest stuff in town.

Want to know the score of the high school football game? Patch can tell you that. Looking forward to that all-you-can-eat buffet bar opening? Patch has all the deets about the dessert items on the menu. For example, I grew up in the St. Louis suburb of Ballwin, where absolutely nothing happens. Ever. But opening up my Patch app right now, I can see that the Borders on Manchester Road just sold its last book this weekend. Yeah, that’s not as exciting as what goes on here in London, but at the same time, it’s incredibly cool that I can get such hyperlocal news from my hometown — and now I can get it right on my iPhone.

The Patch app, released this week, features a handy dashboard screen that gives you quick access to your local weather, news, events and a directory of local businesses. It also offers a “Front 5” feature, which is a collection of the most relevant hyperlocal stories of the day. The app has a well-designed UI, and more importantly, the whole Patch concept is a lot more useful now that I can access it on my iPhone while out and about.

Patch for iPhone is a free download and requires an iPhone 3GS or later.

[Shout out to my Ballwin hommies: The Patch app just told me the Easter Bunny is appearing at Chesterfield Mall every day this week from noon to 1 PM. Rock on.]

Disclaimer: AOL is the parent company of TUAW.

AOL’s Patch sites get iPhone app for hyperlocal news originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3D scanner app captures models using iPhone camera

Trimensional

Here’s a cool addition to the “iOS-devices-can-do-just-about-anything” list: using a US$0.99 app to turn your iPhone 4, iPad 2 or latest-generation iPod touch into a 3D scanner, replacing hundreds of dollars worth of last year’s technology.

Trimensional was developed by Grant Schindler, a research scientist in the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech’s College of Computing. It uses the device’s screen to light the object being scanned from four different directions, allowing a 3D model to be produced. Originally, users could only email their scans or send 3D animations, but now Schindler has added an in-app upgrade for a few dollars that allows you to export the data to CAD programs or 3D applications.

“You can just have fun with it, or if you work with 3D models, you can use it professionally,” Schindler said. You won’t get the same precision results you’d expect from a professional 3D scanner, but then again, it is less than a dollar. Check out some of the images of creations that users have already produced. Cool.

[Via Slashdot]

3D scanner app captures models using iPhone camera originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TUAW TV Live: A special early edition at 3 PM EDT today

I was looking forward to combining today’s Apple Second Quarter 2011 Results Conference Call and TUAW TV Live into one incredible show — until it was pointed out that I’d need Apple’s prior approval to do so. As a result, TUAW TV Live is going to be kicking off two hours early at 3 PM EDT (Noon PDT) today, and we’ll be hosting a liveblog for the financial call at 5 PM EDT.

Part of the show will be a look at the prognostications of Wall Street on what we’ll probably hear from Apple today, while the rest of the hour will be dedicated to a discussion of this week’s Apple news and what’s new in the world of Apple hardware and software.

I’ll still be using our regular Ustream tools this week for the broadcast. To join in on the chat and watch the live streaming video, drop by TUAW about five minutes before the start time to get your instructions on how to participate. If you’re unable to join us for the show, remember that you can always subscribe to the video podcast and watch the show at your leisure in your iTunes or your other favorite podcatching app.

TUAW TV Live: A special early edition at 3 PM EDT today originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Your iPhone is silently and constantly logging your location

The Guardian reports that independent researchers Pete Warden, a former Apple employee, and Alasdair Allan, a data visualisation scientist, announced today at Where 2.0 that they’ve explored a file hidden inside iOS backups which appears to track the location of the device going back as far as the installation of iOS4. [The first indications of location data in this file were actually brought up some time ago, but with substantially less fanfare. -Ed.]

The above map shows data taken from a test iPhone, and shows a detailed history of the phone’s movements around the south of England. Warden and Allan have put up a page with a FAQ discussing their findings and an Open Source software tool you can run on your own backups to see what you iPhone knows about you. They’ve also published a video demonstrating the problem.

Particularly worrying is that this file is unencrypted on the device (and on your Mac or PC, unless you encrypt your iTunes backups) and so easily accessible by anyone with access to your computer’s iTunes backups folder or with jailbreak access to your device. Because of the way iTunes handles backup-and-restore, the data will even automatically persist across devices if you replace your iPhone.

Continue reading Your iPhone is silently and constantly logging your location

Your iPhone is silently and constantly logging your location originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Have an old iBook? Turn it into an iPad case

Gary Katz is at it again, this time gutting an old iBook and turning it into an iPad case. To create this one-of-a-kind case, Katz gutted the body of the iBook, then used a Dremel to remove anything left inside that was sharp or could put pressure on the iPad’s glass screen. Next he fastened some “soft fuzzy material” inside to line the case and removed the opaque Apple logo so that you could see the iPad’s screen through it. As you can see from the video below, the Apple logo’s space can be quite a head trip in this case if you leave something running on the iPad’s screen.

Sure, it might be a lot of work for an iPad case, but you can bet this has to be one of the stronger cases out there. Those old iBooks were built like bomb shelters. I literally dropped a 5-pound weight on mine one time, and there was hardly any damage to it, just a black smudge from the weight. Katz has made some other pretty cool Mac-related mods in the past, including this “antique” iPad case and this iPhone shoe box theater.

Have an old iBook? Turn it into an iPad case originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does Thunderbolt fortell the end of the line for the Mac Pro as we know it?

Thunderbolt!

Xsan integrator Meta Media has an interesting series of posts on its Empowering Creativity blog about what it sees as the future — or rather the lack of a future — for Apple’s Mac Pro line.

The arrival of the Thunderbolt interface, Meta Media says, will allow Apple to return to its beloved sealed-box model of computer production with no user-serviceable parts inside, just like the original Macintosh. No expansion cards, no hard disk upgrades, just Thunderbolt (aka Light Peak) interfaces to connect … well, to connect anything you like really.

“The new Mac Pro will probably look something akin to the current Mac Mini, except slightly taller, more powerful, and with Thunderbolt ports,” the thinking goes. “In fact, all of us need to grapple with the prospect of a Mac product line without any capability of expansion beyond USB, Firewire and Thunderbolt.”

The latest MacBook Pros were the first to sport Thunderbolt connectors, and Meta Media argues that the rest of the Mac lineup will follow. The post points to the arrival of devices such as Promise’s SANLink Thunderbolt to dual-port, 4 Gigabit Fiber Channel adapter as heralding this change; the post forecasts that this is just the start.

“This means that at any time now, Apple can pull the plug on the current Mac Pro and not shock an entire industry. Add to that the near-production offerings of Thunderbolt-driven capture devices from AJA, Blackmagic Design, Matrox and MOTU, and we have our new-age video workstation clearly in sight,” Meta Media says.

You’ll find the blog posts here, here, here and here — have a read and let us know what you think. Would you be sad to see the Mac Pro range disappear into a giant Mac mini case? Will you be happy just plugging everything into Thunderbolt ports? Let us know in the comments.

Does Thunderbolt fortell the end of the line for the Mac Pro as we know it? originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T iPhone sales unaffected by Verizon launch

AT&T announced its first quarterly earnings for 2011 and sales of the iPhone 4 remain strong. According to the earnings statement, AT&T activated 3.6 million iPhones in the quarter ending March 31. This is a one million year over year increase and a slight drop from the 4.1 million activated in Q4 2010. Overall, AT&T added two million new subscribers to climb to 97.5 million total subscribers. This figure is also down from the 2.8 million subscribers AT&T added in the closing quarter of 2010.

These sales numbers were recorded in the same quarter Verizon Wireless launched its version of the iPhone 4. Despite predictions the Verizon iPhone would lead to a mass exodus from AT&T, the wireless carrier confirmed that iPhone churn remained the same year over year. In fact, about 23 percent of iPhone buyers in Q1 were new to AT&T. Apple reports it quarterly earnings today at 5 p.m. ET and Verizon reports its earnings tomorrow. It will be interesting to see where the remaining iPhone numbers fall.

AT&T iPhone sales unaffected by Verizon launch originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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