iPhone and Mac sales give Apple best Q4 ever

by Stevie Smith - Jan 26 2010, 05:38

Last week saw chipmakers Intel and AMD closing out 2009 in style by posting notably strong quarterly results. And, continuing the technology sector’s gradual shift away from the choking clutches of recession, Apple Inc. has now followed suit.

More pointedly, the Cupertino-based computer and gadget specialist enjoyed a particularly strong end to 2009 after its highly desirable product line helped it register its most profitable fourth quarter ever.

In terms of year-on-year comparisons with regard to Apple’s ‘reassuringly expensive’ hardware portfolio, the company doubled its sales of iPhone handsets and increased its Mac adoption rates by around 33 percent, according to a New York Times report.

The massive leap attributed to iPhone sales, which amounted to 8.7 million units, is likely influenced by the progressive spread of Apple’s iconic iPhone into more global markets during 2009 (such as China and South Korea).

While the iPhone and Mac both pushed on between October and December, other Apple-branded items failed to show similar retail performance. For example, the hugely popular iPod multimedia player, which still amassed sales of 21 million, actually suffered an eight percent momentum drop.

According to Apple, revenue for the final quarter was $15.7 billion USD, which equates to a handsome 32 percent improvement when gauged against the $11.9 billion USD it hauled in during Q4 of 2008.

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