Apple has released the results of its fourth fiscal quarter financials for the year 2015, revealing that it had sold 48 million units of its iPhone devices during the last quarter. 48 million units of iPhone sales is an improvement over the 47.5 million units that the tech giant sold during its third fiscal quarter, and is a year over year increase compared the fourth fiscal quarter of 2014 wherein Apple posted 39 million units in iPhone sales. While 48 million units sold is an impressive figure by any measure, it failed to surpass the analysts’ expectations, which is at 48.5 million units.
Apple’s fourth fiscal quarter of the year marked the first three month period in which the company’s newest iPhone models, the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, went on sale, albeit only for a limited number of weeks. It is no secret that iPhones drive most of Apple’s revenues, and even though the iPhone 6s devices were only available in stores for only a number of weeks, the quarter was by all means not a disappointment. An estimated $32.2 billion of the company’s revenues last quarter came from sales of iPhone devices.
Also, it should be noted that the last quarter market the second time that Apple has a breakout in terms of the sales of its iPad devices. Apparently, iPads did not fare as well as the company’s iPhone devices, dropping from an estimated 11 million units sold to 10 million units sold from the third fiscal quarter to the fourth fiscal quarter of 2015. Compared year over year to 2014, Apple’s iPad sales continued to suffer, decreasing from 12 million units sold last year to 10 million units sold in 2015. Industry watchers may notice the fact that as iPhone devices get bigger, they also continue to sell better compared to Apple’s iPad devices.
What about Apple Pay, the mobile payment system that Apple developed and launched one year ago? As revealed by Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple, the contactless mode of payment has seen a double digit increase on a month over month basis. Cook also stated that Apple is partnering with American Express in bringing Apple Pay to more markets outside the United States.
Speaking of foreign markets, China always comes to mind, considering that is the biggest market for smartphones in the world right now. Apple reported that its presence in the Chinese market continues to expand, with the company now having 25 stores in the region, and is targeting to establish 40 stores by 2016.
