Apple's 14.1m iPhone 4 sales push revenue to $20bn

Apple - buoyant
Apple - buoyant

Apple made a massive $20 billion in revenue in the last quarter, with the company selling 14.1 million iPhone 4s and just under 4.2 million iPads to smash expectations.

Apple's position as one of the biggest companies in the world was underlined in their quarterly earnings announcements, with Steve Jobs confirming some stellar numbers.

Although the headline for the financial centres will be the $20 billion (£12.4bn) in revenue, for gadget numbers it will be the rise and rise of the iPhone, Mac and iPad that resonates.

Sold out

Steve Jobs explained that his company had sold as many iPhone 4s as it could manufacture, a 91 per cent unit growth and beyond RIM's 12.1 million BlackBerrys.

"We are blown away to report over $20 billion in revenue and over $4 billion in after-tax earnings-both all-time records for Apple," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO.

"iPhone sales of 14.1 million were up 91 percent year-over-year, handily beating the 12.1 million phones RIM sold in their most recent quarter. We still have a few surprises left for the remainder of this calendar year."

Thrilled

CFO Peter Oppenheimer added: "We're thrilled with the performance and strength of our business, generating almost $5.7 billion in cash flow from operations during the quarter.

"Looking ahead to the first fiscal quarter of 2011, we expect revenue of about $23 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $4.80."

Jobs also took the opportunity to cast some barbs at Google for characterising Android ("our biggest rival) as open and iOS as closed, describing the assertion as "disingenuous".

Jobs also spoke about his feeling that the spate of 7 inch tablets arriving as iPad rivals would be dead in the water, because they were too small and revealed that a quarter of a million Apple TVs had been sold.

TOPICS
Patrick Goss

Patrick Goss is the ex-Editor in Chief of TechRadar. Patrick was a passionate and experienced journalist, and he has been lucky enough to work on some of the finest online properties on the planet, building audiences everywhere and establishing himself at the forefront of digital content.  After a long stint as the boss at TechRadar, Patrick has now moved on to a role with Apple, where he is the Managing Editor for the App Store in the UK.

Latest in iPhone
Apple iPhone 16 Review
New iPhone 17 report lends weight to rumors of major display and camera upgrades, and a pricey Apple foldable
Apple iPhone 16 Review
The latest iPhone 18 leak hints at a major chipset upgrade for all four models
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold main display opened
Apple is rumored to be prioritizing battery life on the foldable iPhone – which could also feature a liquid metal hinge for added durability
The home screen on an iPhone 16e smartphone
I think the iPhone 16e is too expensive – and as it turns out, so does nearly everybody else
Apple iPhone 16 on orange background with big savings text overlay
You can get a free iPhone 16 Pro Max without a trade at Verizon right now - with one minor catch
Apple CEO Tim Cook
Forget Siri, Apple needs to launch a folding iPhone and get back on track
Latest in News
Samsung HW-Q990D soundbar with Halloween theme over the top
Samsung promises to repair soundbars bricked by its disastrous software update for free – but it'll probably involve shipping
Google Gemini AI
Gmail is adding a new Gemini AI tool to help smarten up your work emails
DJI Mavic 3 Pro
More DJI Mavic 4 Pro leaks seemingly reveal launch date, price and key features of the triple camera drone – here's what to expect
Android 16 logo on a phone
Here's how Android 16 will upgrade the screen unlocking process on your Pixel
Man sitting on sofa, drinking coffee, looking at phone in surprise
Thousands of coffee lovers warned to stop using their espresso machines immediately after reports of burns and lacerations
Visual Intelligence identifying a dog
AirPods with cameras for Visual Intelligence could be one of the best personal safety features Apple has ever planned – here's why