On Wednesday, Apple (NASDAQ:
AAPL
) announced that it sold
47.8 million iPhones
. This impressive figure shows that Apple has not lost its touch,
not even as analysts and investors question the firm's ability to
deliver successful upgrades. What most people do not realize,
however, is that those sales figures do not apply to the iPhone 5
alone -- they apply to all of the iPhone models currently
available.
Thus, sales of the iPhone 4 (which is free on many carriers
with a contract) and the iPhone 4S ($99 with a contract) are also
included. To be clear, Apple still profits from the "free" iPhone
4; the carrier pays for the phone to encourage users to sign a
contract.
With all three of the iPhones lumped into one sales sheet, it
is impossible to know exactly how many units Apple has sold of
each model. Researchers at IDC are providing some clues, however.
According to IDC's
latest report
, Apple's success was "due in large part to older models, in
particular the iPhone 4, which Apple couldn't make enough of in
the quarter relative to demand."
"Its sales success with the older model could portend success
in higher-growth emerging markets where the company has performed
well," researchers concluded.
Apple's growth -- with both older and newer iPhone models --
should theoretically boost the company's value. However, nothing
that Apple has done over the last six months has been able to
provide the firm with a significant and sustainable increase.
Apple has lost more than 21 percent of its value since July
25, 2012. By comparison, the company rose more than five percent
during the year ago period (July 25, 2011 to January 24,
2012).
Most of Apple's recent gains -- which have been scarce and
short-lived at best -- have surrounded the company's annual
product lineup. The rumor mill had convinced some investors that
Apple would dump the iPhone 5 and release an upgrade (presumably
titled the iPhone 5S) in January or February. Most analysts
disagree with these rumors.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the next
iPhone will not be released
until next summer
. In fact, Kuo estimates that Apple may not release much of
anything before the third quarter.
If it weren't for the ongoing success of the existing iPhone
and iPad models, Apple might be in trouble. The proof is in the
sales, however, and Apple's have been filled with record-breaking
numbers every quarter.
Follow me
@LouisBedigianBZ
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