Apple: iPhones outsold BlackBerrys in last quarter
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 | 11:04 AM ET
CBC News
Apple Inc. said it sold more iPhones than Research in Motion sold BlackBerry devices in the most recent financial quarter, a surprise victory for Apple in its effort to topple RIM as the smartphone market leader.
Apple released its most recent financial results on Tuesday, saying its profit jumped 26 per cent in the last quarter to $1.14 billion US, or $1.26 per share, from $904 million, or $1.01 a share, in the same period last year.
Sales for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company were $7.9 billion US, up from $6.22 billion a year ago.
The company set quarterly records for Macintosh and iPod sales, selling 2.6 million Macs and 11.1 million iPods.
The big surprise, however, was the 6.9 million of its 3G iPhones sold in the quarter ending Sept. 27.
“Apple just reported one of the best quarters in its history, with a spectacular performance by the iPhone — we sold more phones than RIM,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.
Waterloo, Ont.-based RIM sold 6.1 million BlackBerries in the quarter ending Aug. 30.
Over the long haul, RIM is still the leader, having sold 23 million BlackBerries to Apple's 13 million iPhones in the time since Apple released the first-generation version of its device in the summer of 2007.
Overtaking RIM in such a short time is a "tremendous accomplishment," said Edward Jones analyst Bill Kreher.
"It's jaw-dropping," Kreher said.
Jobs said Apple is the third highest mobile phone supplier by revenue, behind Nokia Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
Apple and RIM have been locked in a battle in the last year for customers in both the consumer market, where Apple has traditionally staked its claim, and the business market, where RIM has been the leader.
Apple has introduced a number of features, most notably the ability to "push" email directly to the iPhone, in an effort to appeal to the business market. And RIM has introduced a number of handsets designed to appeal to consumers, including the BlackBerry Bold — its first 3G device — and the BlackBerry Storm, which features a touchscreen similar to the iPhone's.
Part of Apple's edge in the quarter can be attributed to RIM's delays in releasing the Bold into the U.S., the company's largest market.
But turmoil in the financial industry threatens to eat into the bottom line of both companies.
As a result, Apple issued what it called "prudent" predictions for the current quarter, citing broader economic uncertainty. Chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer said Apple expects to earn $1.06 to $1.35 per share on sales from $9 billion to $10 billion.
In pre-market trading Wednesday, Apple shares were up about eight per cent.
With files from the Associated PressShare Tools
Top News Headlines
- Air Canada confident it can reach deal with pilots
- Travellers flying Air Canada can keep booking their flights as negotiations continue with a new federally appointed mediator to help resolve an ongoing contract dispute between the airline and its pilots. more »
- Immigrants the proudest Canadians, poll suggests
- Most Canadians feel immigrants are just as likely to be good Canadian citizens as people who were born here and don't object to them keeping their original citizenship, according to a recent Environics survey. more »
- Legalize pot, say former B.C. attorneys general
- Four former B.C. attorneys general are joining a coalition of health and justice experts calling for the legalization of marijuana. more »
- Whitney Houston's funeral to be held Saturday
- Pop star Whitney Houston's funeral service will be held Saturday in the New Jersey church where she first showcased her singing talents as a child. more »
Latest Technology & Science News Headlines
- New iPad anticipated in March
- The latest version of Apple's iPad tablet will launch in early March, according to blog and media reports this week. more »
- Higgs boson hunt aided by energy boost
- The world's largest particle accelerator is ramping up its beam energy in hopes that scientists will learn definitively this year whether the last undiscovered particle in the Standard Model of Physics exists. more »
- Nortel hit by suspected Chinese cyberattacks for a decade
- Hackers based in China enjoyed widespread access to Nortel's computer network for nearly a decade, according to a report. more »
- U.S. weighs steep nuclear arms cuts
- The Obama administration is weighing options for sharp new cuts to the U.S. nuclear force, including a reduction of up to 80 per cent in the number of deployed weapons, The Associated Press has learned. more »
Bob McDonald's Blog
Glacier Discovery Walk: Will the visitor centre enhance the view? Feb. 14, 2012 9:22 AM Environment minister Peter Kent has announced the construction of a new Glacier Discovery Walk and visitor centre on the Icefields Parkway in Jasper National Park. It raises the issue of how to balance commercial development in our National Parks against the preservation of the last refuges of wilderness.
Quirks & Quarks
- February 11: Inside the Mind of a Neandertal Feb. 10, 2012 4:01 PM Can we get inside the mind of a species that's been dead for 30,000 years? A new book, How to Think Like a Neanderthal, suggests we can. The authors reconstruct a creature like us in many ways, but with important differences.
Latest Features
- Legalize pot, say former B.C. attorneys general
- Botox injected by unlicensed practitioners
- Toronto NBA fans experience 'Lin-sanity'
- Trudeau says sovereignty less of a bogeyman now
- Homicide follows Vancouver family argument
- Tires slashed on more than 100 cars in Surrey
- Online surveillance bill targets child porn: Toews
- Adults told B.C. teen had taken ecstasy
- Whitney Houston's funeral to be held Saturday
