18 Key Takeaways From Apple's First Earnings Call of 2019
Apple yesterday reported its earnings results for the first quarter of the 2019 fiscal year. Apple's CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri then went on a conference call with analysts to discuss the results. Key takeaways are below.
- Revenue of $84.3 billion. For financial details, see our earnings report coverage.
- 1.4 billion active devices at end of quarter.
- Apple Music now has over 50 million paying subscribers.
- App Store set single-day spending record: over $322 million on New Year's Day.
- 1.8 billion Apple Pay transactions in quarter, more than 2x vs. year-ago quarter.
- Target, Taco Bell, and Jack in the Box stores in U.S. will accept Apple Pay soon.
- Apple News now has over 85 million monthly active users.
- Apple News launching in Canada later this quarter. English and French.
- Apple's gross margin was 34.3% for hardware products and 62.8% for services.
- Apple remains on track to double its fiscal 2016 services revenue by 2020.
- Apple now has 360 million paid subscriptions across its services.
- Apple expects to surpass 500 million paid subscribers across its services in 2020.
- Wearables revenue driven by "amazing popularity" of Apple Watch and AirPods.
- Wearables category is "approaching the size of a Fortune 200 company."
- 506 Apple Stores across 22 regions at end of quarter.
- Apple ended the quarter with $245 billion in cash plus marketable securities.
- Apple to provide update on its capital return program in March earnings report.
- iPhone XR is best-selling iPhone model, then iPhone XS Max, then iPhone XS.
More coverage:
A replay of the conference call is available on Apple's website for a limited time.
Popular Stories
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle.
Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines.
According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option.
Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator.
The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues.
The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce.
In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing."
TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+.
What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year?
Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+
The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here
2026 Plans Still Under ...
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch.
The key announcements include:
New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January.
"Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro.
Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
