Apple Blames Rumors for iPhone Sales Drop, Confident in Record Sales for Holiday Quarter
While Apple's iPhone sales for the fourth fiscal quarter fell short of expectations at 17.07 million units, Apple CEO Tim Cook noted during the company's conference call that it expects to hit all-time record iPhone sales in the current quarter on the strength of the iPhone 4S.
![iphone_4s_siri iphone 4s siri](https://images.macrumors.com/t/TdS4WpJK1bG0vuU9MoUN5xVnc-E=/400x0/article-new/2011/10/iphone_4s_siri.jpg?lossy)
Cook noted that iPhone sales declined somewhat sequentially as rumors regarding a new model circulated. iPhone sales dropped by 2.4 million sequentially on a sell-through basis, which was actually less than the company had anticipated. Unsurprisingly, the reduction was most significant in the second half of the quarter as speculation surrounding the iPhone 4S "hit extreme highs". That pent-up demand led to a strong launch for the iPhone 4S, with Apple selling over four million units in the opening weekend.
iPhone rumors had been at a fever pitch for many months as Apple missed its usual June introduction of new hardware. Compounding the effect were persistent rumors of a dramatically redesigned "iPhone 5" offering a larger but thinner design than the current iPhone. Whether those iPhone 5 design rumors were incorrect or based on a design still in the works for a future model remains unknown, but the iPhone 5 was ultimately not released during this product cycle as Apple elected to remain with the iPhone 4 design as it launched the iPhone 4S.
Cook also expressed confidence in Apple's rollout plans for the iPhone 4S, with the device already available in seven countries and an additional 22 countries coming online by the end of this month. Record iPhone sales for the current quarter would come in above the 20.34 million units set in the third fiscal quarter (second calendar quarter) of this year. Apple has already issued strong guidance of $37 billion in total revenue for the current quarter, and with the iPhone making up the largest chunk of Apple's revenue, the company is clearly expecting strong sales at least through the end of the year.
Popular Stories
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...