Unexpected fall in iPhone sales
May 3, 2017![Apple logo](https://static.dw.com/image/19428855_800.webp)
Apple announced it sold 50.76 million iPhones in its fiscal second quarter that ended on April 1, down from 51.19 million units a year earlier.
The company argued that customers may have held back purchases in anticipation of the 10th-anniversary edition of the firm's most important product later this year.
The next iPhone edition is expected to feature wireless charging, 3D facial recognition and a curved display.
"There is a general softening in phone demand to contend with as well as expectations of a big upgrade," said James McQuivey, a Forrester Research analyst.
Unimpressed investors
Despite the drop in iPhone sales, Apple's second-quarter net income rose to $11.03 billion (10.09 billion euros), compared with $10.52 billion year on year.
Under pressure from shareholders to hand over more of its $250-billion-plus hoard of cash and investment, Apple boosted its capital return program by $35 billion and raised its quarterly dividend by 10.5 percent.
Investors appeared unmoved, sending the company's share price down by 1.9 percent at $144.65 in after-hours trading.
hg/jd (dpa, Reuters)