Apple Expected to Report Strong Summer Revenue of $50B+ as Focus Shifts to iPhone X Launch Quarter

Apple BondsApple is set to report its earnings results for the fourth quarter of its 2017 fiscal year at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time today.

The fiscal quarter reflects Apple's sales between July 2 and September 30 of 2017.

Apple provided the following guidance for its fourth quarter back on August 1:

• revenue between $49 billion and $52 billion
• gross margin between 37.5 and 38 percent
• operating expenses between $6.7 billion and $6.8 billion
• other income/expense of $500 million
• tax rate of 25.5 percent

Apple's guidance suggests the company will report at least its second best fourth quarter earnings results in its history.

Wall Street analysts forecast that Apple will report $50.7 billion revenue and earnings per share of $1.87, according to 29 estimates averaged by Thomson Reuters.

A quarter-by-quarter look at Apple's revenue since the 2009 fiscal year:

Fourth Quarter Revenue
• 2013: $37.5B
• 2014: $42.1B
• 2015: $51.5B
• 2016: $46.9B
2017: $49B+

Screen Shot 2016 10 25 at 4
MacRumors.com compiled fourth quarter estimates from several financial institutions and analysts tracking Apple and the company's stock. The figures are listed below, ranked from highest to lowest in quarterly revenue.

aapl 4q17 earnings preview
Apple's fourth quarter earnings results will provide the first official indication of how well the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 are selling. The devices became available to pre-order on September 15, just over two weeks before the quarter ended, and launched in stores one week later on September 22.

Multiple reports have suggested that demand for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus has been tepid, but that could be a side effect of pent up demand for the iPhone X. Apple staggered the release of its high-end smartphone, for which pre-orders began October 27, nearly six weeks after the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

The most interesting takeaway will be Apple's guidance for the quarter we're in right now, which encompasses the launch of the iPhone X and the busy holiday shopping season. Over the past year, analysts have repeatedly predicted the highly-anticipated device will drive a significant "supercycle" of upgrades.

A high guidance range would suggest that Apple expects the iPhone X to sell very well, while a lower one would suggest that either demand is lower than thought or that Apple continues to face issues with ramping up supply of the device.

In addition to iPhone sales, investors will be looking for continued growth of Apple's services category, which includes the likes of the App Store, iTunes Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, AppleCare, and licensing fees. Apple's services revenue grew 22 percent to an all-time record of $7.3 billion last quarter.

Apple's services category has become the size of a Fortune 100 company, according to chief executive Tim Cook.

Cook and Apple's financial chief Luca Maestri will discuss the company's earnings results on a conference call at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors.com will transcribe the call as it unfolds for those unable to listen.

Tags: AAPL, Earnings

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
Prime Day 25 Feature Warm Triad

The Best Early Prime Day Deals on Apple Products

Saturday July 5, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Amazon is soon to be back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront, and there are already many deals you can get on sale ahead of the event. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a ...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...

Top Rated Comments

bbeagle Avatar
100 months ago
The slow death of the iPod continues.
The iPod is being reborn as the Apple Watch.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
udayan81 Avatar
100 months ago
Apple is doomed. Only $49B :P
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MLVC Avatar
100 months ago
I'm just hoping they'll announce Apple Pay for the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Poland etc. today. Fingers crossed!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Winni Avatar
100 months ago
Apple is doomed. Only $49B :p
As with IBM, Microsoft and many of the other big players... The problem lies not in the financial corner. It has something to do with RELEVANCE. I remember the time when the IT industry was afraid of IBM, and Microsoft was just another insignificant startup and Apple was - literally! - nowhere to be seen. Then came the rise of the PC clones and with it the rise of Microsoft. And Apple was still insignificant, because the world was now using Windows. The rise of the Internet changed all that, and then mobile gadgets turned the classic desktop into an almost irrelevant afterthought. We're now in a phase where market for mobile gadgets has matured AND saturated. It won't be long before the next big thing emerges, and the game - and with it the dominant player - will change again. In the meanwhile, companies are still buying IBM services and Microsoft Windows desktops and consumers are still buying Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. Those companies still make a ton of money. However, dominating tomorrow's technology they don't...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
100 months ago
The prices on Apple products are getting out of control under Tim Cook. At some point there will be a backlash, it's only a matter of time.
In related news, you can now buy the cheapest iPhone and lPad ever.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
100 months ago
If Apple has a beat here it will be quite impressive given how it's believed the iPhone 8 sold so slowly. It would likely mean a lot of iMacs and iPads were sold last quarter. That would be fantastic news. What I hope does not happen (as a fan, not investor) is that the services side eclipses Mac revenue. That would make me sad.
Start thinking about the iPhone as a lineup rather than a year model.

The lineup got much cheaper after the introduction of the iPhone 8, and economics laws are still in place afaik,
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)