Apple is set to report its financial results this afternoon for Q1 2015, a three-month period spanning October through December that directly followed the launch of the highly-anticipated iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Despite offering guidance of between $63.5 to $66.5 billion in total sales, many analysts are predicting that Apple outpaced those numbers in what could amount to a record-breaking quarter.
Fortune has averaged the estimates of 35 analysts, including 20 professionals and 15 amateurs, and determined that expectations are for Apple to report earnings of $2.68 per share, a nearly 30% year-over-year increase, and revenue of $68.7 billion, about a 20% increase from the year-ago quarter and $2.2 billion higher than Apple's high-end forecast.
The first quarter has historically been the most lucrative for Apple, as the company typically launches new or refreshed products in the fall ahead of the busy holiday shopping season. Apple has posted record-breaking first quarter earnings results for over a decade, a span in which it announced several iconic products such as the iPod, iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.
Analysts believe that Q1 2015 will be a home run for Apple on the strength of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The larger screen sizes of the new smartphones were a major draw for many existing iPhone users looking to upgrade, and enough of a reason for some Android users to make the switch. Apple also launched a few other noteworthy products in the quarter, including the iMac with Retina 5K Display and new iPads.
MacRumors will be providing live coverage of Apple's financial results as they are reported around 1:30 PM PT (4:30 PM ET), including the subsequent earnings conference call with CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri at 2 PM PT (5 PM ET). At that time, we'll have a clearer picture of just how well Apple managed to perform in the quarter.
Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued.
The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models.
In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring.
There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category.
M4...
Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by Juli Clover
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch.
All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19.
"Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag.
The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle.
Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
Apple today announced its first custom cellular modem with the name "C1," debuting in the all-new iPhone 16e.
The new modem contributes to the iPhone 16e's power efficiency, giving it the longest battery life of any iPhone with a 6.1-inch display, such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16.
Expanding the benefits of Apple silicon, C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most...
Tuesday February 18, 2025 8:46 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is permanently closing its retail store at the Northbrook Court shopping mall in the Chicago area. The company confirmed the upcoming closure today in a statement, but it has yet to provide a closing date for the location.
Apple Northbrook opened in 2005, and the store moved to a larger space in the mall in 2017.
Apple confirmed that affected employees will continue to work for the...
Next iPhone will sell very well, like Samsung smartphones.
Gradually the fad will pass simply because there is no extraordinary (or even plain ordinary) leadership at Apple.
Have a specific timeline in mind Nostradamus? I mean, you could make any open ended prediction which will eventually come true. Like someone in 2003 predicting the iPod would stop being Apple's most popular product "someday".
Apple's USP is not the hardware, it's the software with an easy to use UI and integrated App/iTunes Store making it simple to purchase everything from songs to apps to books to games.
I agree with you in spirit, but I actually think Apple has some pretty nice hardware too. Their custom SoC's, which they don't *have* to make, have tended to raise the bar for the rest of the industry almost every year since the A5.
LOL.
I base my predictions on the following:
1) Soldered RAM - to cause premature obsolescence to keep sales from declining.
2) GUI that is out of control - attention to detail and perfection is gone
3) Bad releases - buggy updates and constant upgrades that bring limited value but destroy perfect things that should have been left alone.
4) Neglected base - 2015 MacMini that is slower than it was 3 years ago. Showcase software (Aperture and Final Cut) abandoned. A Mac Pro impractical format for real business. Server grade hardware and software nonexistent.
5) Stupid acquisitions - Beats, over-the-top new campuses - Spending their inheritance
1) I thought we were talking about the iPhone? But Apple isn't the only one doing soldered RAM in the types of machines Apple is (ultra thin laptops for example). All you have to do anyway is buy the maximum amount. But it costs more? Well Apple has never had a problem charging more and it seems more people, not less, are willing to pay as time goes on...
2) Personal preference. I'll bet you'll find the vast majority of people aren't that concerned with "skeumorphism" or "flat ui" and sit in front of their computer with a magnifying glass.
3) I'll give you that, they had some buggy releases recently... Not sure how that's any different from the Jobs era, though.
4) The 2015 Mac Mini has a slower cpu, but much faster I/O. heh, it actually makes a *better* little server in a lot of ways just because of that. Where was Final Cut abandoned? And why is the Mac Pro "impractical" for "real business"? You have to be more specific than that or it's meaningless.
5) "Spending their inheritance" are you implying they're burning through their cash? Because the total amount keeps increasing every year. They're incredibly thrifty with their money it seems except when it comes to securing huge supplies of "stuff" for their products (ram, displays, etc).
What I am saying is that a large screen is the only thing left to do to an iPhone that has not evolved for 3 years.
The competitive edge is gone, and soon the iPhone will be left to fend for itself. I don't expect anything more from Cook/Ives.
Camera Upgrade? VR? HomeKit + TouchID integration? Ocular tracking? Inductive Charging? Improved AI? Gaming hardware support? OS synthesis?
Just because your design vision is limited does not mean there isn't any more competitive opportunities for the iPhone.
Have a specific timeline in mind Nostradamus? I mean, you could make any open ended prediction which will eventually come true. Like someone in 2003 predicting the iPod would stop being Apple's most popular product "someday".
LOL.
I base my predictions on the following:
1) Soldered RAM - to cause premature obsolescence to keep sales from declining.
2) GUI that is out of control - attention to detail and perfection is gone
3) Bad releases - buggy updates and constant upgrades that bring limited value but destroy perfect things that should have been left alone.
4) Neglected base - 2015 MacMini that is slower than it was 3 years ago. Showcase software (Aperture and Final Cut) abandoned. A Mac Pro impractical format for real business. Server grade hardware and software nonexistent.
5) Stupid acquisitions - Beats, over-the-top new campuses - Spending their inheritance
Look, you want an acid test for how good Cook is going to be? Look at the attention to detail with respect to UI elements if there is in fact a stylus on this new convertible device and how well it fits into the rest of the iOS functionality. That will be 100% something that Steve would make sure is executed not just successfully, but _best in the marketplace_
