Here are 5 interesting facts to note from Apple’s earnings call.

1. Apple beat every company in the world with the highest quarterly net profit.

Apple’s Q1 2015 net profit was more than any other company in the world. In the top 20 list of highest quarterly net profit Apple is the only consumer electronics company to be featured on the list, others are Oil & Gas companies. Apple is featured 5 times on the same list.

2. Apple made a net profit of $8.3 million every hour this quarter.

When you were happy that you got a good 7 hour sleep on a certain day, Apple earned about $58.1 million in the same amount of time. That’s not bad for a company whose entire product lineup could fit on top of your dinning table.

3. The billionth iOS device Apple sold was a Space Gray 64GB iPhone 6 Plus.

During its earnings call Apple’s CEO Tim Cook announced that on November 22nd the company shipped their 1 billionth iOS device. Apple has saved the billionth iOS device at the Apple HQ in Cupertino.

4. Apple Pay makes up more than $2 out of $3 spent on purchase using contactless payment in the U.S.

Within three months after launch of Apple Pay, the service now supports about 750 banks and credit unions. According to Apple WholeFoods saw a 400% increase in mobile payment since the introduction of Apple Pay.

5. iPad sales slumped this quarter.

While all major product categories grew in revenue and units sold, Apple’s iPad sales figures were lower than expected. In Q1 2015 Apple sold 21.4 million devices compared to 26 in the year ago quarter. Apple introduced the all-new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini however, this did not help Apple is posting record sales for the tablet.

It’s clear that there was pent-up demand for a large screen iPhone. With iPhone 6 plus launch Apple is all set to take the market by storm. iPhone 6 plus features 5.5inch Retina HD display , second generation 64-bit chip, improved camera sensor, NFC chip and more. iPhone 6 features nearly the same features as iPhone 6 plus except the display size which is 4.7 inch and doesn’t feature optical image stabilisation.

The new iPhones will be available in retail stores on September 19. Eager customers began queuing outside the stores much before the phone was announced. Apple may face shortage of stock to meet the release day demand. This has become a trend of sorts with all major product launches from Apple in the recent past.

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, didn’t hesitate to comment that iPhone 6 will be mother of all upgrades. Publications that have published early impressions seem to be highly positive about the new phones.

With both new phones featuring larger displays there is something new to experience for everyone. Apple Pay could also play a major factor in bringing in new customers as Apple plans to revolutionise mobile payments. Apple claims that Apple Pay will be easy, fast and secure. The service demo shown during the event involved bringing the phone near the NFC device and simply touching the Touch ID to authenticate payment. The company claims that it will not store any data on its server and will use token system to completely randomise every transaction without storing any sensitive information.

Bigger display, NFC, better camera, faster processor and thinner design that’s exactly what people wanted and Apple has delivered.

Did you manage to pre-order your new iPhone? Which one did you order, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus? Let us know in the comments below.

The campers often have an ‘agenda’ which is either to gain fame, promote their products or earn some money in exchange of the first spot in the line. Apple has been known to be extremely supportive of its customers lining outside the retail stores by offering food and coffee for free. Other companies are also eager to join the bandwagon by sponsoring the campers with their products of course.

Rob Shoesmith camped outside Apple’s retail store for 10 days in anticipation of iPhone 4S which got him a lot of media attention and sponsors. This year Jason and Moon Ray got the first spot after paying $2500 to Brian Ceballo and Joseph Cruz of BuyBackWorld. Jason and Moon Ray are promoting a health app called VideoMedicine which can used to videoconference with doctors.

This year Apple is widely expected to announce 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch screen iPhones. The next iPhone is rumoured to feature sapphire crystal display, improved camera sensor, new biometric sensors, improved battery performance and NFC chip. Analysts report suggest that Apple will finally enter the mobile payment segment with NFC enabled iPhone by partnering with American Express, Visa and MasterCard.

iPhone 6 / iPhone Air is also expected to be available in 128GB capacity in addition to 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models. The pricing of these models is unknown however, it is estimated that 5.5 inch model will cost $100 more that the current price points.

Apart from iPhone announcement the company is also rumoured to enter wearable product category. Apple CEO Tim Cook has commented on wearable technology in the past and has noted that the wrist continues to be an area of interest. In the recent past the company has made notable hires from Nike which further fuel the rumours about an iWatch.

All rumours will be put to rest on September 09, 2014 when Apple kicks starts its special iPhone keynote event. Are you excited about the new iPhone 6? Do you think Apple will unveil an iWatch during the event? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Apple’s iPad media event has just gone live. The company will be providing a live video coverage of the new iPad keynote event. The event is being held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook, will take the stage to announce new product launches and updates for this year before we enter the holiday season. The email invite sent out to the media suggests that the company will “cover” many product announcements.

Rumors and reports published in the past provide enough evidence to expect new iPad 5 (fifth gen) and second gen iPad mini. We could also get new Haswell MacBook Pro models, final release of Mac OS X Mavericks, new iLife and iWork software updates and more.

iPad 5 is widely expected to feature a thinner and lighter design inspired by the advancements made with iPad mini. Hardware specifications are expected to include new 64-bit A7 chip, improved camera and possibly new Touch ID sensor.

There have been many conflicts reports about a second gen iPad mini with retina display. It is unclear if Apple will introduce the new smaller iPad with a high resolution display.

During WWDC Apple showcased a sneak peek at the new Mac Pro. Apple could use today’s event to announce shipping date for the high end Mac for the professionals.

This year Apple is offering a live video feed of the iPad launch event. Live video stream of the event is available on Apple’s website. In order to view live video streaming of the October iPad event you’d require Safari 4 or later on OS X v10.6 or later, Safari on iOS 4.2 or later. Streaming via Apple TV requires second- or third-generation Apple TV with software 5.0.2 or later.

Apple has announced that Burberry CEO, Angela Ahrendts, will join the company as senior vice president of retail and online stores. The new position has been created for Ahrendts who will report directly to CEO Tim Cook.

Burberry and Apple had recently partnered together to capture Spring / Summer 2014 runway show using the new iPhone 5s. Burberry showcased beautiful photos and slo-mo videos that were captured using only the new iPhone 5s. Both companies share the same passion for design and conveying a sense of emotion attached to its products.

After the departure of Ron Johnson, Apple struggled to fill the position of the next retail head. Cook later hired John Browett who was then the CEO of Dixons. However, in less than a year he was fired as he didn’t seem to fit in the Apple culture.

Burberry is an iconic British brand known for its luxurious fashion products. A quick look at their online stores suggest that the high end luxury brand believes in simplicity, innovation in product design and engaging customers in digital marketing.

Disciplined execution, constant evolution and balance across channels, regions and products underpin the management of the business.

Innovative product design, digital marketing initiatives and dynamic retail strategies drive consistent performance.

Ahrendts will join Apple next year, in spring. Prior to Burberry, she worked for Liz Claiborne Inc. as executive vice president and earlier in her career she served as president of Donna Karan International.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook, commented, “She shares our values and our focus on innovation, and she places the same strong emphasis as we do on the customer experience. She has shown herself to be an extraordinary leader throughout her career and has a proven track record.”

Christopher Bailey, chief creative officer at Burberry will replace Ahrendts. It will be interesting to see how Ahrendts takes over Apple’s online and physical retail stores as the new head in 2014.

Apple’s iPhone 5S media event was kicked off by Apple CEO Tim Cook in a familiar style by sharing updates. One of the most notable figures shared by Cook was that iOS devices are on track to cross 700 million mark by the end of September.

Apple CEO also shared updates about the company’s retail strategy to bring its focus back to the US after expanding worldwide. During the keynote Cook highlighted the new retail store in Stanford, California.

Additionally, Tim Cook also shared updates about the iTunes Music Festival in London. 20 million customers have entered for tickets which will be free of cost. The festival is also be streamed online to over 100 countries.

Apple’s stock has been witnessing a rocky path as last year around this time the stock price peaked at over $700 when the iPhone 5 was announced. The stock price has shown some upward trend in the recent past.

The company is working hard to increase the market share of its iOS devices. This year the company will announce two models of the iPhone. All-new iPhone 5C for the mid-priced market and new flagship iPhone 5S that will replace the iPhone 5.

Apple is already half way through its keynote event. Stay tuned for more live coverage as the event unfolds.

Apple’s highly anticipated mobile software iOS 7 was unveiled during the headline keynote event at WWDC on Monday. The keynote began with a video about Apple’s design philosophy which gave a clear indication of some drastic changes we were about to witness.

iOS 7 was introduced with a video where Jony Ive, SVP of Design, shared the concept behind the look and feel of the next major version of iOS. As the video revealed photos of iPhone 5 running iOS 7 it showed a whole new direction the company was heading towards. This new direction was about getting rid of unnecessary ornamentation and about bringing a sense of focus and purpose to the OS.

From the lockscreen to the homescreen to the native apps, the design screams one word, “flat”. iOS 7 no longer features the heavy wooden, linen or leather textures. The design brings focus to the features of the app and what you can accomplish by utilising every pixel on the screen to deliver content to users.

The use of translucent overlays for control center, share sheets, keyboard and even Siri helps bring about a sense of understanding the functional hierarchy of features rather than hiding the unseen screen space with skeuomorphic textures. This also brings a fresh new look to your phone every time you change the wallpaper as the overlays reflect the colors underneath it.

Every element on iOS 7 has been redesigned from the fonts to the icons and even a new color palette. iOS 7 is a bold move from Apple, a move that shows the company’s ability to “think different”. It’s a well known fact that Steve Jobs was the one who was in favor of ornamentation and heavy textures. But, with Jony Ive as the head of software and hardware design the company has taken a whole new direction and whole new perspective of how iOS should be designed.

Tim Cook in an interview shared that Steve Jobs told Cook to never run Apple thinking “what Steve would have done” rather he advised Cook to do what was right for Apple. The introduction of iOS 7 is a perfect example of Cook’s leadership taking Apple to a different level.

iOS 7 doesn’t “revolutionise” the existing mobile OS, it didn’t showcase any features that haven’t existed on other mobile platforms however, it does show that Apple is willing to let go of the “old” to make way for what’s “better”.

I have never been against the use of ornamentation on iOS. In fact, it gives Apple’s iOS an exclusive elegance that has a “wow” factor. The wooden bookshelf in Newsstand and iBooks tries to connect technology with real life and brings about a sense of bridging the gap between the real and the virtual. However, I can clearly see how the leather stitched Notes app on the iPad takes away a lot of functional screen space. I think iOS had reached a point where balancing the real and the virtual ornaments had become an argument about design over functionality and focus.

With iOS 7 Jony Ive has tried to bring back the focus on functionality by simplifying and getting rid of the unnecessary. However, it’s worth noting that iOS 7 doesn’t let go of its connection with the real world. The OS now responds to motion to create a sense of depth as you tilt your device it shows the underlying content. Even as you change your wallpaper the reflection of the colors of the photo you choose has a very noticeable impact on the entire OS.

Apple didn’t deliver any breakthrough features in iOS 7 but, it has begun a new design journey which is modern, simplistic and unobtrusive in every sense. First look at iOS 7 may create a sense of unfamiliarity but, the more you look at it the more you understand the purpose behind such profound changes.

Apple’s WWDC 2013 keynote event will go live today at the Moscone West convention center in San Francisco. Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, will kick off the event with a keynote presentation at 10 AM Pacific Time.

At this years Worldwide Developers Conference Apple will unveil iOS 7 and the next major release for OS X. A live video stream of the keynote event will be available at Apple’s website and requires Safari 4 or later on Mac OS X v10.6 or later; Safari on iOS 4.2 or later. The company has added a new section for streaming via Apple TV and requires second- or third-generation Apple TV with software 5.0.2 or later to stream the event.

iOS 7 will be the first release that has been developed under the leadership of Jony Ive, SVP of Industrial Design, as Apple fired Scott Forstall allegedly over Apple maps fiasco and an internal divide over the skeuomorphic design elements. In addition to a redesign iOS 7 is expected to open new API’s for developers giving more control over features and could also introduce AirDrop for iOS to make sharing between iOS devices easier.

No details have been available about what’s new in OS X. Apple usually previews new version of OS X earlier in the year however, it is believed that the company had to pull engineers from OS X team to work on iOS 7.

Banners for iOS 7 and OS X suggest a clean and flat design for the upcoming update. Apple is expected to release the software updates later this fall. Apple’s online store is down at the time of writing which suggests that the rumors about possible MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models could turn out to be true.

What are your expectations from this years keynote event? Let us know what you think in the comments section. To watch the live keynote event visit Apple’s website.

With Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) under intense criticism over the past several months, it is not surprising that the company’s CEO, Tim Cook would come out and regret some of the steps they took in the past. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been seeing its stock in a tailspin, analysts worrying about gross margins, and many claiming that the company is lacking in innovation.

On Tuesday, during Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s Q2 2013 earnings call, Cook admitted that Apple should have waited until 2013 to release the new redesigned iMac. The new iMac uses a new screen lamination process that caused many problems when it was introduced in late 2012, and the radically thin design appeared to be slightly bold for something was to be released within weeks of its announcement.

The new iMac was released into a mass of customers that hadn’t seen any new products in months, and as a result, expectations were high. Unfortunately, the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) delayed the iMac, which resulted in a decline in sales for the holiday quarter. Mac sales slipped to 4.1 million, mainly because of the failure of iMac’s launch. Cook admitted during the earnings call that this was a mistake and commented on the situation:

We felt our customers had to wait too long. In retrospect, yes, I sort of wish we had done it after the turn of the year. Customers wouldn’t have had to have waited as long as they did.

Tim Cook’s apology is a sign of the type of leadership that the company is now under, with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s former CEO, Steve Jobs rarely offering up an apology for any mistakes made. Jobs simply found a way to prove the company right or make amends through actions. Cook has already apologized for the failed Maps app in iOS, as well as for its subpar handling of warranty issues in China.

{Via AppleInsider}

Apple’s SVP of Industrial Design, Jony Ive has achieved yet another accomplishment, having been awarded knighthood last year at Buckingham Palace. Now, the forty-six year old designer has made Time’s 100 most influential list with the likes of many other notables in Time’s lists which includes President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, Miami Heat forward LeBron James, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Beyoncé and even Pope Francis.

Ive is listed under Time’s Artist category and is including in the same category with others such as writer George Saunders as well as actress and actor, Jennifer Lawrence and Bryan Cranston. The small anecdote written below Ive’s image was written by musician and activist Bono of the band U2. Bono was also a close friend of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Bono noted that Ive pursued “greatness over profit” and also went on to say:

What the competitors don’t seem to understand is you cannot get people this smart to work this hard just for money. Jony is Obi-Wan. His team are Jedi…

Jony Ive has been with Apple for over 16 years, having started in 1996 as leader of the company’s design team. Under his leadership and design sense, the company released several successes, which include numerous generations of the iMac, iPad, iPhone, and iPod. Late last year, Apple also appointed Ive with the role of leading and providing guidance for the Human Interface (HI) team at the company, which will allow for a tight integration between hardware and software, something that Apple is quite popular for.

Jony Ive has received many awards over his long career at Apple and worked under two of the company’s greatest CEO’s, Steve Jobs and Tim Cook. With his latest Time recognition, there is no doubt that the designer has many more years and many for awards to get through.

{Via AppleInsider}

According to a report from AppleInsider, Apple is contacting developers through the iTunes Connect program, requesting that they localize their applications. This means that developers will update their apps with multiple languages and will also market applications and books as localized. By localizing apps, developers will be able to reach a number of different regions, because all text, titles and descriptions will be molded to each area.

In the letter to iTunes Connect members, Apple noted that the App Store and Mac App Store are available in 155 countries with support for 40 languages, saying that “it has never been more important to localize your app and marketing material.

Alongside the request to developers to localize their applications, Apple also released a Chinese Support Communities forum, which allows users to provide support to other Apple users through their native tongues. This would allow for customers to feel comfortable using the product, especially if they are receiving assistance that is tailored to their needs. Until the release of this forum, most Chinese users and users from other countries around the world would have to refer to the English forums for help.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has noted in the past that China is a major growth opportunity for Apple and the company has posted an increase of over 67 percent in revenue in the country. Recently, Apple has been dealing with customer complaints about the company’s warranty policies, prompting their Senior VP of Operations Jeff Williams to go to deal with the public relations issues. Apple is consistently trying to increase support for its Chinese users as the company realizes that the region is a key part of their revenue models.

{Via MacRumors}

With the second fiscal quarter of 2013 (first calendar quarter) at an end, Apple Inc. (AAPL) is once again set to report its quarterly earnings. AAPL will announce the Q2 2013 earnings results on April 23, exactly 3 months after they announced the Q1 earnings of 2013. The company notified the public of this earnings call by posting the date on its investor relations page.

Normally, Apple’s earnings calls start around 4:30 PM Eastern Time at around 5:00 PM Eastern / 2:00 PM Pacific because stock trading, which happens on the East Coast stops for the day around 4:20 PM. Apple proposed that this quarter, the company will record revenue between $41 and $43 billion and gross margin between 37.5% and 38.5%. Majority of the revenue will come from the sale of the iPad mini and the iPhone 5.

Three months ago, the company reported one of its most successful quarters, increasing its revenue and profit each year. However, in recent weeks and months, the company has experienced a major drop in stock price after reports began suggesting that Apple was no longer and innovative company and that it had nothing new to move towards now that Steve Jobs was gone.

It will be interesting to see how Apple’s CEO Tim Cook will handle the earnings call, especially since many of the negative reports on the company’s innovation emerged very recently.

{Via MacRumors}

According to Digitimes, Apple Inc. (AAPL) is planning to launch a cheaper iPhone for emerging markets around the world, such as China. China is a major growth opportunity for AAPL, as noted by CEO Tim Cook in the past. The low-cost iPhone is expected to include a larger display and a new design.

Apple will roll out a low-cost version of the iPhone for China and other emerging markets in the second half of 2013, according to supply-chain sources.

Some sources claimed that they have seen the sample of the low-cost iPhone, which will come with a larger display, meeting the prevailing trend for the adoption of 5-inch displays for high-end models. They added that the low-priced iPhone will also have a brand new exterior design.

It has been rumored for quite some time that Apple is looking to introduce a smaller iPhone, or perhaps different sizes for different markets. However, it is unlikely that Apple will make the iPhone any bigger than the current 4 inch design.

A smaller iPhone would make the iPhone similar to the iPod, giving users the option to choose everything including size, design, coverage plans, etc. It is unclear exactly how Apple plans to create a smaller iPhone or when it plans it plans to launch, but it is expected later this year.

{Via MacRumors}

Apple has changed a lot under new CEO Tim Cook, who took over after Steve Jobs stepped down and became chairman of the board. Following the passing of Jobs in late 2011, Tim Cook is trying to take the company in his own direction. This began with the removal of key employees at Apple such as the removal of Scott Forstall as SVP of iOS Software and the resignation of John Browett, head of retail operations.

Now, Apple is offering a new program, allowing some of its employees to take two week breaks from work for side projects that they may be working on, as it might benefit the company somehow in the future.

Apple’s culture is getting to be a little bit more like Google, and other Silicon Valley companies, says Jessica Lessin at the Wall Street Journal. Speaking on today’s News Hub video show, Lessin reports Apple started a program earlier this year called “Blue Sky” that lets employees take two weeks to work on projects outside their normal responsibilities.

Apple is implementing an idea that Google has already had for a number of years, however, Apple’s is much more limited and includes only a select group of employees. By doing this, Apple is hoping that the personal time will fuel innovation and ideas that wouldn’t come to fruition otherwise. By giving employees to enjoy their time and dabble in their own personal projects, Apple is allowing its employees to enjoy their jobs and bringing new ideas into the workplace.

{via iMore}

Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone 5 went on sale in the United States in late September, adding to the holiday lineup of all new Macs and iPods. Now, AAPL is also planning to bring the latest iPhone with the taller 4 inch screen, A6 chip, and LTE wireless to China. On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Cupertino based company would be bringing the iPhone 5 to China in late November or early December.

Government officials haven’t offered guidance on when the iPhone 5 might win final approval. But China Telecom Chairman Wang Xiaochu said Friday in a brief interview on the sidelines of the Communist Party’s 18th Party Congress in Beijing that the phone should be by early December if not sooner.

China Unicom Chairman Chang Xiaobing was less certain. “We hope to offer it this year, but what I say doesn’t matter,” he said on the sidelines of the congress, adding that his company was waiting for the government to grant the remaining licenses for the phone to be released in China.

Apple is already looking at a breakthrough holiday quarter and with the iPhone 5 selling in other countries, the company will experience even higher sales. According to the WSJ report, 16% of Apple’s revenue came from China last quarter, which equates to $5.7 billion. Apple’s Foxconn factory has been experiencing delays in production of the iPhone 5, and shortages of the device in places where it is already on sale and is causing even more demand for the product.

Apple has already mentioned that they will roll out the iPhone 5 to 100 more countries after the US and with the rapid release around the world, and will do so in about 2 months after the initial US release. Despite Apple not officially selling the iPhone in China, there are many in use across the country, brought in by resellers who have purchased them in other countries, mostly the United States.

As sales begin and gradually increase in China, the number of units being purchased for resale in the United States will stop. As a result, the production will finally catch up to the demand. China is a major growth opportunity for Apple, as CEO Tim Cook has mentioned in the past, and it will continue to be as demand for the company’s products grow more and more each year.

{Via MacRumors}

Apple Inc. (AAPL) began selling its new iPad mini and the 4th generation iPad just last week and has already sold a record three million iPads in three days. According to Apple, this number is double the previous first weekend record of 1.5 million Wi-Fi models sold for the third generation iPad this past March.

Apple noted in the press release for the record announcement that the WiFi+Cellular versions of the iPad mini and the 4th generation iPad would be available in several weeks, in the US and numerous other countries. Apple CEO Tim Cook seemed optimistic about the new iPad mini and commented on the sale of the iPad mini and fourth generation iPad.

Customers around the world love the new iPad mini and fourth generation iPad. We set a new launch weekend record and practically sold out of iPad minis. We’re working hard to build more quickly to meet the incredible demand.

The iPad mini, with a new 7.9 inch screen, FsceTime HD camera and LTE wireless is setting up to be a big hit for Apple in the market, and the company will likely continue to sell more in volume as the holiday season approaches. Apple retail stores and the online store have been trying to keep up with demand for the iPad mini for the past several days, and will likely continue to sell them in record numbers for several months until the demand evens with the supply.

{Via Apple PR}

Late last week, Apple Inc. (AAPL) reported its financial results third calendar quarter and fourth fiscal quarter of 2012. AAPL reported a net quarterly profit of $8.2 billion on $36.0 billion in revenue, which comes out to roughly $8.67 per diluted share. During the fourth fiscal quarter of 2011, Apple reported $28.27 billion in revenue with a net quarterly profit of $6.62 billion, coming out to about $7.05 per diluted share.

With each passing year, Apple has posted a higher quarterly revenue and profit, increasing its per share price by almost $1.67 per share since this time last year. With improvements in each quarter, Apple has set a record revenue for for fiscal 2012, reporting a total revenue of $156.5 billion with a net profit of $41.7 billion. Revenue and profit for fiscal 2012 comes in much higher than 2011, which brought in $108.2 billion in sales and $25.9 billion in profit.

Apple CEO Tim Cook mentioned last year that Asia, specifically China is a major growth opportunity for the company, which proved to be true in 2012. International sales accounted for over 60 percent of Apple’s revenue, which shows major growth from several years ago. During fiscal 2012, Apple sold 4.9 million Mac, an increase of 1 percent from over a year ago, 5.3 million iPods which declined 19 percent from a year ago. Although Apple is posting revenue increases each quarter, the company’s iPod sales have been declining for several quarters, with most sales coming from iPad and iPhone sales.

We’re very proud to end a fantastic fiscal year with record September quarter results,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’re entering this holiday season with the best iPhone, iPad, Mac and iPod products ever, and we remain very confident in our new product pipeline.

Apple expects revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 to be yet another record with expected revenue of $52 billion and earnings per diluted share of $11.75. Apple has yet to include holiday sales for this year, which will likely be much higher than fiscal 2011, as Apple introduced an entirely new lineup of iPods, the new iPhone 5, as well as the iPad mini which is expected to be a major success this holiday.

{Via MacRumors}

Early last week, reports of Apple Inc. (AAPL) opening a third store in Beijing were published, with photos from chinese site MicGadget showing the entrance of the new store under construction. On Sunday, Apple confirmed that they are going to open the third store in Beijing, located on the iconic Wangfujing Street. The Cupertino, Calif., company confirmed that the store is scheduled to open at 10am this Saturday, as with all other Apple grand openings.

China is a major market for AAPL, as the company has experienced massive growth in numerous Asian nations including China. Apple CEO Tim Cook reiterated numerous times in past earnings calls that China is very important to Apple’s growth worldwide. According to 9to5Mac, Apple is also planning to open a massive data center in Hong Kong during the first quarter of 2013, allowing the company to expand and integrate more into the country and support its international users.

By opening the new store, Apple is looking at growth in sales, as the company receives a large part of its revenue from China, Japan and other Asian nations. During the grand opening, Apple typically gives out free commemorative t-shirts to the first 10,000 visitors and has even given out goody bags in its retail stores in China, consisting of gift cards, iPod Shuffles, and even iPads.

{Via 9to5Mac — Image Credit: MicGadget}

iOS 6 was released to the public a little more than a week ago already complaints have flooded the internet over the fact that Apple’s new iOS Maps app does not offer walking and transit directions like Google’s Maps. Other complaints included Maps getting directions and places wrong, with one user claiming that there was a city that Maps located in the middle of the ocean.

Apple CEO Tim Cook finally addressed the complaints by issuing an open letter, noting that as users begin to use Maps more, the better it’ll get. The full letter can be seen below.

To our customers,

At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.

We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.

There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you.

While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.

Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.

Tim Cook
Apple’s CEO

Several hours after Cook published the letter, Apple updated the App Store with a new feature sections called “Map Apps”. In his letter, Cook mentioned to users that they can download free apps such as Waze and MapQuest until iOS Maps improved.

The new sections includes a range of different map applications from companies such as Waze, Mapquest, Garmin, Bing, and MotionX, offering transit directions, walking directions, as well as separate turn by turn navigation apps. With Cook’s letter and the addition of the new App Store section, it show’s that Apple is taking criticism of its iOS Maps very seriously and is looking to correct the issue momentarily until their own mistake is corrected in the long term.

{Via MacRumors}

This allows Apple to not only gain more worldwide revenue, but it allows them to gain a bigger base of developers that can now develop and sell their applications in their own country. Although Apple has been focusing mainly on the United States as well as Asia, the company is now reaching out to other nations, including a few in Africa and parts of South America. The full list of countries that recently received the App Store is as follows:

Albania, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Fiji, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Palau, Papua New Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Zimbabwe.

By adding in these new countries, Apple is offering their over 600,000 applications, 200,000 tailored for the iPad to millions of new customers, who will likely push the Cupertino company’s 30 billion downloads to a far greater success.

{via AppleInsider}

Last week Fortune released their “Fortune 500” list, organizing and releasing their list of the top 500 companies in the United States, in order by revenue. Apple has been experiencing strong quarterly growth over the years, and as a result, jumped up 18 spots on the list since last year to occupy #17 in the new list.

The company emerged from the tragic passing of co-founder Steve Jobs saddened but in no perceptible way weakened. Under CEO Tim Cook, the company continued pumping out new products — like a significantly upgraded version of the iPad tablet. Apple nearly doubled its earnings per share in 2011, compared to 2010.

That helped nudge management to announce plans for the firm’s first dividend since 1995, returning some of the $97.6 billion in cash it had accumulated. Apple fans and analysts alike also continue to await a long-rumored television set from the gadget maker.

Apple has continued to increase its revenue and its profits continuously over the last year of 2012 in order to become the most profitable company in the United States, with $25.9 billion in profit. Apple surpassed Exxon Mobil and Chevron, holding the #2 and #3 spots.

Apple will likely climb higher, reaching new heights in stock prices, breaking the $600 barrier with the arrival of new CEO Tim Cook. Apple is referred to as one of the greatest business comebacks in history, rebounding after being 3 weeks away from bankruptcy. With two successful quarters in 2012, Apple is setting itself up for another successful, possibly moving up further on the Fortune 500 in the coming months.

{via MacRumors, Image: Credit}

Apple Inc. (AAPL) on Tuesday reported their Q2 2012 earnings results. As always, AAPL is showing record numbers from revenue to profit and is seeing great increase in the sales of their mobile devices. The company reported quarterly revenue of $39.2 billion and quarterly net profit of $11.6 billion. That’s roughly $6.40 per diluted share, which is up almost 94% from the previous year.

Apple sold a whopping 35.1 million iPhones, 11.8 million iPads, 4 million Macs, and 7.7 million iPods in the quarter. This represents an 88 percent growth for iPhone sales a massive 151 percent increase for the iPad, a 7 percent increase for Macs, and unsurprisingly, a 15 percent decline in iPod sales. iPod sales have been steadily declining for the last two years, and decreased by about 21% just last quarter.

Even with this decline, Apple is surpassing its expectations from last quarter, where revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2012 was projected to be $32.5 billion, with an earnings per diluted share of $8.50. Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke about the earnings, noting that he is pleased with the profit margins and sales:

We’re thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter. The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you’re going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver.

Apple has not been resting on their laurels with meeting their expectations and has continued to go above and beyond their financial projections. Following Apple’s earnings calling, CFO, Peter Oppenheimer even went as far as to say that he expects revenue of about $34 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $8.68.

{via Apple}

Apple still relies on Google’s Maps technology to provide iPhone users with directions and map data, as well as search feature in the native Safari browser. Google relies on Apple’s massive number of iPhone users to bring mobile traffic to the search giant. However, the distance between the tech giants is becoming more apparent with reports of Apple looking to include China’s Baidu search in iOS.

A report from SinaTech via TechinAsia revealed that the Cupertino company is looking to release an update that will incorporate Baidu’s search functionality into iOS, much like Google search operates now. This would allow users to opt for Baidu to search everything from streets to websites directly from the iPhone and much more quickly too. According to a previous report from TheNextWeb, Baidu currently holds over 83.6 percent of China’s search space and is more detailed than Google in mapping streets in China. This would severely impact the number of Google users in China, especially if Baidu ships out of the box on the iPhone and iPad.

Apple has a large market share in China and is continuously expanding its number of retail stores and the influence of its products to capitalize on the large influx in customers. Tim Cook specified that China is a large growth opportunity for Apple and is visiting the country to likely familiarize Apple with its international customers. Baidu may be just what Apple needs to help pioneer its vision in China and allow its products to be as simple and accessible for its international customers as it is for customers in the United States.

{via TheNextWeb}

As we all know, Apple Inc. (AAPL) has released its newest version of the much ballyhooed iPad, dubbed “The new iPad”. Why doesn’t AAPL give it some crazy sleek name to promote it? They don’t have to. The iPad is currently outselling HP in total PC Sales in units. Impressive? Yes, especially when you add to that list Dell, Lenovo and Acer.

The numbers alone are impressive but this just further proves how big of a market disruptor the iPad is. This slide was surely tough for PC manufacturers to stomach when they saw it at the launch of “The new iPad”. Apple CEO Tim Cook sure looked like he was proud of it. Matt Rosoff wrote an article on the Business Insider stating “Apple sold 15.4 million iPads last quarter. That’s more than any PC maker’s total PC sales during the same quarter.”

Between the iPad, iPhone and iPod, Apple sold 172 million devices last year. All PC makers combines to sell 350 million PCs last year. Sure they got beat, but that is an insane number when you are considering mobile devices versus laptops. Who’s job doesn’t require a PC anymore?

The transition to the mobile devices such as the iPad has caused some to speak of a possible “Post-PC” era that is looming. While I don’t think we’ll see a true “Post-PC era” for some time, we’re definitely seeing a shift in how people use their devices.

During today’s iPad 3 live keynote event Apple will finally unveil the third-generation tablet and release date is expected within two weeks from today. iPad 3 is widely expected to feature retina display with a resolution of 2,048 by 1,536 pixels, faster processor with improved graphics, better cameras and more.

iPad 3 is rumored to use Dual-Core A5X SoC that will not only be faster but also deliver enhanced graphics and include 1GB RAM. The design is not expected to see major changes however, it is believed that the new iPad will be 0.8 mm thicker when compared with the second gen tablet.

Apple could share an update related to iOS 5.1 software update and could announce its immediate availability. While we haven’t heard about any conclusive evidence which points to inclusion of Siri in iPad 3 Apple could be looking at bringing the “personal voice assistant” to the tablet.

What are your expectations from this years event? Let us know in the comments section.

Check back soon for the iPad 3 live coverage.

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Sources: Engadget, Ars Technica, The Verge, gdgt