Apple Q1 Sales, Income Up Double Digits

By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 1/25/2010

Cupertino, Calif. - Christmas was very good to Apple, which reported a year-over-year 32 percent gain in net sales in its fiscal first quarter to $15.7 billion, and a 49.8 percent gain in net income to $3.38 billion.

The quarter, ended Dec. 26, also saw gross margins rise to 40.9 percent from the year-ago 37.9 percent. Apple called the quarter its most profitable quarter ever.

During the latest quarter, worldwide iPod sales declined 8 percent in units year over year to 20.97 million units but grew 1 percent in dollars to $3.39 billion. Quarterly revenues from Apple-branded and third-party iPod accessories, iTunes store sales and other iPod services rose 15 percent to $1.16 billion.

Sales of iPhones, which have been rolled out in more countries, rose 100 percent in units to 8.74 million, while revenues generated by iPhone hardware sales, carrier agreements and from Apple-branded and third-party iPhone accessories rose 90 percent to $5.58 billion.

Sales of desktops and portables combined rose 33 percent in units to 3.36 million and 25 percent in dollars to $4.45 billion.

All told, desktops and laptops accounted for 28.4 percent of Apple's first-quarter revenue, and international sales accounted for 58 percent of revenue.