Apple revenue forecast beats estimates as iPhone sales soar
Chief financial officer Kevan Parekh said the company expects revenue growth for the current quarter in the 'mid to high single digits,' which exceeded the 3.27 per cent growth to US$98.04 billion that analysts expected, according to LSEG data.
The company's fiscal third-quarter sales beat expectations by the biggest percentage in at least four years, according to LSEG. But CEO Tim Cook told analysts on a conference call that those tariffs had cost Apple US$800 million in the June quarter and may add US$1.1 billion in costs to the current quarter.
Apple reported US$94.04 billion in revenue for its fiscal third quarter ended June 28, up nearly 10 per cent from a year earlier and beating analyst expectations of US$89.54 billion, according to LSEG data. Its earnings per share of US$1.57 per share topped expectations of US$1.43 per share.
Apple shares were up 3 per cent in after-hours trading, extending gains after Apple provided its forecast.
Sales of iPhones, the Cupertino, California, company's best-selling product, were up 13.5 per cent to US$44.58 billion, beating analyst expectations of US$40.22 billion.
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Apple has been shifting production of products bound for the US, sourcing iPhones from India and other products such as Macs and Apple Watches from Vietnam.
The ultimate tariffs many Apple products could face remain in flux, and many of its products are currently exempt. Sales in its Americas segment, which includes the US and could face tariff impacts, rose 9.3 per cent to US$41.2 billion.
In Greater China, where Apple has faced long delays in approval to introduce AI features on its devices, sales were US$15.37 billion, up from a year ago and above expectations of US$15.12 billion, according to a survey of five analysts from data firm Visible Alpha.
That gain was a turnaround from a year-over-year decline in China sales in the March quarter.
Early purchases
In an interview with Reuters, Cook said the company set seasonal records for upgrades of iPhones, Macs, and Apple Watches. He said Apple estimates about 1 percentage point of its 9.6 per cent of sales growth in the quarter was attributable to customers making purchases ahead of potential tariffs.
'We saw evidence in the early part of the quarter, specifically, of some pull-ahead related to the tariff announcements,' Cook told Reuters, though he also said the active user base for iPhones hit a record high in all geographies.
The US is still negotiating with both China and India, with Trump saying India could face 25 per cent tariffs as early as Friday. However, analysts said India could still retain cost advantages for Apple in the longer term.
'The pull-forward in demand due to tariffs was somewhat expected given the uncertainty around pricing. However, it's important to put this in context as this is typically a slow quarter for Apple, yet they still delivered exceptional results with iPhone growth,' Emarketer analyst Jacob Bourne said.
Tariffs are only one of Apple's challenges. The company faces competition from rivals such as Samsung Electronics in a tough market for premium-priced mobile phones. On the software front, Apple faces challenges from Alphabet, which is quickly weaving AI features into its competing Android operating system.
While AI leaders Microsoft and Nvidia have seen their stock market values soar to record highs, Apple's shares have fallen 17 per cent in 2025, with investors concerned about the impact of tariffs, and about what they view as slow progress integrating AI features into its products.
Apple has delayed the release of an AI-enriched version of Siri, its virtual assistant, but Cook said the company is 'making good progress on a personalised Siri.'
He also said Apple, which has thus far not engaged in the massive capital expenditures of its Big Tech rivals to pursue AI, is 'significantly growing' its investments in artificial intelligence.
'Apple has always been about taking the most advanced technologies and making them easy to use and accessible for everyone, and that's at the heart of our AI strategy,' Cook said.
Apple faces regulatory rulings in Europe that threaten to undermine its lucrative App Store business. Apple said sales from its services business, which includes the App Store as well as music and cloud storage, were US$27.42 billion, topping analyst expectations of US$26.8 billion.
Sales of wearables such as AirPods and Apple Watches were US$7.4 billion, missing estimates of US$7.82 billion. Mac sales of US$8.05 billion beat expectations of US$7.26 billion, while iPads hit US$6.58 billion in sales, missing expectations of US$7.24 billion.
Apple said gross margins were 46.5 per cent in the fiscal third quarter, beating analyst expectations of 45.9 per cent, according to LSEG estimates. The company forecast gross margins for the current quarter of 46 per cent to 47 per cent, with the entire range above estimates of 45.9 per cent, according to LSEG data. REUTERS
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