Apple iPad and iPhone sales up – but profits down

Apple has announced its Q2 2013 financial results, beating expectations on iPad and iPhone sales for the quarter but posting the first drop in profits in a decade.

Apple sold 37.4m iPhones and 19.5m iPads in Q2 2013, up 6.55% and 65.25% respectively year-on-year. Last year's Q2 figures saw 35.1m iPhone sales and 11.8m iPad sales.

But net profits were a measly $9.5 billion this quarter, down on the $11.6 billion posted in Q2 2012, down in part to the lower margins of the iPad mini.

Apple iPod sales meanwhile continue to fall, down to just 5.6 million in Q2 2013. This means sales are down 27 percent compared to Q2 2012, while iPod revenues are down 20 percent on Q2 2012.

Apple has still sold more iPods (375 million) than iPhones (356 million), though the iPhone has sold roughly twice as fast as the iPod – and should overtake the iPod in cumulative sales over the next month or so.

In an earnings call, Tim Cook, Apple CEO, also hinted the next product launch wouldn't be until Autumn, saying: "We've got some really great stuff coming in the fall and across 2014."

An iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 looks increasingly likely to follow the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S, which were both first announed in the month of September. While the Apple TV remains an outside bet.

On this quarter's results, Cook said: “We are pleased to report record March quarter revenue thanks to continued strong performance of iPhone and iPad.

"Our teams are hard at work on some amazing new hardware, software, and services and we are very excited about the products in our pipeline.”

Apple has also today announced its WWDC developer conference will take place from June 10th to June 14th, traditionally the place for new iOS software announcements and sometimes hardware (last year there were new iPods).

MORE: LG says now is not the time for the Apple iTV

Written by Joe Cox

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Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).