Apple Reports Best Non-Holiday Quarter Ever With $5.99 Billion Profit for Q2 2011

161834 apple logo

Apple today announced financial results for the first calendar quarter and second fiscal quarter of 2011. For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $24.67 billion and net quarterly profit of $5.99 billion, or $6.40 per diluted share, compared 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, and international sales accounted for 59 percent of the quarter's revenue. The numbers represent the best non-holiday quarterly revenue and earnings in Apple history, just missing last quarter's $6 billion profit.

Apple shipped 3.76 million Macintosh computers during the quarter, a unit increase of 28 percent over the year-ago quarter. Quarterly iPhone unit sales reached a record 18.65 million, up 113 percent from the year-ago quarter, and the company also sold 9.02 million iPods during the quarter, representing 17 percent unit decline over the year-ago quarter. Apple 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."

Apple's guidance for the third quarter of fiscal 2011 includes expected revenue of $23 billion and earnings per diluted share of $5.03.

Apple will provide live streaming of its Q2 2011 financial results conference call at 2:00 PM Pacific, and MacRumors will update this story with coverage of the conference call highlights.

Updates

- Largest year over year quarterly revenue growth. Fueled by record iPhone sales. Robust demand for iPad. Strong growth in Mac sales.
- Mac. 3.76 million Macs. Pleased with the strong growth, given 3% contraction in PC market overall. Growth fueled by popularity of MacBook Air as well as strong sales of MacBook Pros. Entire MBP family was refreshed in January. Customer response excellent.
- Developer preview of Lion was introduced. Lion features Mission Control, LaunchPad, Full Screen Apps, new Multitouch Gestures.
- Lion scheduled to ship this Summer. Look forward to showing more features at WWDC.
- 9 million iPods. Though lower year over year, still higher than expectations. iPod Touch makes up 50% of the iPods sold.
- iTunes Stores - Best quarter ever. $1.4 billion revenue. Over 100 million books downloaded.
- iPhone. Record 18.6 million. 113% year-over-year growth. Significant increase in capacity, allowing them to increase distribution. Verizon launch in the March quarter.
- iPhone continuing to see strong growth in enterprise market.
- iPad. Thrilled with momentum. 4.69 million iPads. Launch of iPad 2. Still trying to get it into hands of customers. We sold every iPad 2 we made this quarter. Would have liked to end with more in channel inventory.
- Just under 189 million cumulative iOS device sales by end of March quarter.
- More than $2 billion in payments to developers in App Stoer.
- Apple Retail. 10th anniversary on May 19th. Half of the Mac sold to those who never owned a Mac before.
- Launched Personal Setup. Helps customer set up the product in the store. Includes email, contacts, applications and more. Set up over 1 million products.
- 40 new stores in fiscal 2011. Nearly 3/4 will be outside of the U.S. Including 5th store in China.
- Excited about our new product pipeline.

Q&A

Q: Any supply chain disruption from Japan?
A: Incredible tragedy. Apple has a long history/ties to people in Japan, we are very saddened. Regarding our business in Japan. Some revenue impact, but not material in consolidated results. Regarding global supply train, we did not have any supply or cost impact in our fiscal Q2 as a reslut of the tragedy, and do not anticipate any material impact in Q3. We sourced hundreds of items in Japan, ranging from LCDs, optical drives, NAND flash, resin coatings, foil. The earthquake/crisis caused disruption to many of these suppliers. But since the disaster, Apple employees have been working around the clock with suppliers and implemented a number of contingency plans. Our partners have displayed an incredible resilience. There are some supply risks that are beyond the current quarter, but the situation is still uncertain, so it's difficult to predict beyond Q3.

Q: Where the iPad 2 constraints are?
A: The demand on iPad 2 has been staggaring. We are still amazed that we are still heavily backlogged. We're planning on addition more countries through the quarter. We are confident we can produce a very large number of iPads for the quarter.

Q: Price elasticity curve of the iPhone with the $49 3GS?
A: Very popular. did very very well.

Q: How do you think of the maturity of LTE? And Apple's sense of urgency to get products out?
A: I was asked this question when we launched the iPhone with Verizon. The first generation of LTE chipsets forced a lot of design compromises. Some of those we are just not willing to make. We are extremely happy with the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3GS. And hitting 18.6 million units was something much larger than we thought we could do this quarter. And to 3 more large carriers.

Q: International penetration of Macs?
A: Growth on the Mac has been enormous in Asia. Up 76% in Asia-Pacific. Many multiples of the growth that the region had seen for the market. We are seeing enormous growth for the Mac there. Japan also did well. U.S. had a surprisingly strong quarter. Marketshare is obviously less outside the US in most places than in the US. That speaks very well for the opportunity that the Mac has. 20 quarters in a row where we've outgrown the PC market. The momentum is still there and we're the only guys focused on building innovative products in that space. Several of the international countries are extremely portable focused. I see popularity in both the iMac and portable form factors.

Q: Forces that caused lower gross margins?
A: Higher mix of iPad sales (priced very aggressively). The iPhone channel inventory increased by 1.7 million units. The iPad channel inventory fell, and was below our range. So those were the forces I'd highlight.

Q: How are you seeing different opportunities in the large enterprises with your MacBook given the greater receptiveness to the iPhones and tablets. Is it opening doors to get Macs in?
A: Clearly seems to be creating a halo effort for the Mac. In part why we're seeing growth on the Mac side.

Q: Talk about the CDMA phone and any new markets that you are looking to enter?
A: I don't want to get into specifics, but we are constantly looking at where we should bring on incremental partners. We've brought on 3 this quarter. That's on top of the ones we brought on in December. We are constantly looking and adding where it makes sense.

Q: Any similarities between rise of Android and rise of Windows? How do you maintain growth in the face of that?
A: The comscore data released yesterday reported the iOS platform outreaches the Android in the U.S. We launched the iPad 2, sold every one we make. We are gaining traction in enterprise. Largest App store. We feel very good about where we are, and our future product plans. We continue to believe that iPhone's integrated approach is materially better than Android's fragmented approach. The user appreciates that Apple takes full responsibility for the experience. Few customers want to be a system's integrator.

Q: How closely has Jobs stayed involved during his medical leave?
A: He is still on medical leave, but we do see him on a regular basis. And he continues to be involved in major strategic decisions. I know he wants to be back full time as soon as he can.

Q: Was it a forecasting error on the iPad side?
A: Pleased with the progress that we've made on the manufacturing ramp. Producing more than the original iPad launch. So confident, already expanding countries for iPad sales.

Q: Share views on the one year timeline for iPhone, iPod products?
A: We never comment on unannounced products. So I have nothing to share from that perspective.

Q: Any interest in having iPads subsidized by service providers?
A: It is subsidized in some markets (Japan, some European). But the vast majority using the iPad on 3G is on a pay as you plan. So yes, carriers can do that, but many customers prefer the pay as you go plan.

Q: Samsung lawsuit?
A: We are samsung's largest customer. Samsung is a very valued component supplier for us. We felt the mobile division of Samsung has cross the line and have had to now rely on the courts.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Wednesday November 12, 2025 3:29 pm PST by
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a few new features worth knowing about. Measure App Apple's Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles. Games App There's now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent. CarPlay The...
iPhone 16e Feature

iPhone 16e Has Apparently 'Failed' Just Like iPhone Air

Thursday November 13, 2025 4:46 am PST by
Apple's entry-level iPhone 16e model is selling poorly, just like the iPhone Air, according to an Asia-based leaker. The Weibo user known as "Fixed Focus Digital" said that the iPhone 16e is not selling well and the attempt at delivering a popular, low-cost iPhone has "failed." That being said, both models are expected to see successors. The iPhone 17e is expected to debut in the spring of...

Top Rated Comments

LagunaSol Avatar
190 months ago
I enjoyed this post immensely as well. As someone in the chemical/nuclear engineering industry, my clients always gripe and complain about corporate greed when big bad oil makes $10 billion in profit in a quarter, but when Apple does it everyone sings their praises as their money goes right into Steve Jobs's bank account and talks about how great it is that the money they've worked for sits somewhere cross-country in the form of numbers on paper.

"Steve Jobs' bank account" eh? You appear not to know how corporations work.

And if my money is going to line someone's pockets, I'd rather it be someone who returns the favor by making my life more enjoyable rather than someone who will gouge me for a natural resource I need to transport me to the job to earn the money to pay for that natural resource, exploiting every war and rumor of war to charge me ever more for the privilege.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Al Coholic Avatar
190 months ago
Three years ago: iPhone revenue = 10 % of Apple's revenue
Two years ago: iPhone revenue = 26% of Apple's revenue
Now: iPhone revenue = half of Apple's revenue :eek:

Let's just hope they throw us a macbook every now and then. The didn't drop the word "Computer" in the Apple name for nuthin. :eek:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)