Apple

iMac launch should have been delayed, admits Apple's CEO

The new iMacs should have been announced in 2013 instead of last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook has admitted.

During Apple's second-quarter earnings conference call on Tuesday, Cook acknowledged that customers had to wait too long to receive their iMacs after the new models were announced last October.

"If we could run it over, frankly, I would have announced the iMac after the turn of the year," Cook said. "Because we felt our customers had to wait too long for that specific product."

Following the announcement of the two new iMacs, the 21.5-inch model finally became available on November 30 … Read more

Apple CEO Tim Cook: Mobile payments still in their infancy

Apple doesn't seem ready to leap into the mobile payments arena, at least according to comments made Tuesday by CEO Tim Cook.

During Tuesday's conference call announcing fiscal second-quarter earnings, Cook responded to a question about mobile payments.

"I think it's in its infancy," the Apple CEO said. "I think it's just getting started. Just out of the starting block."

Reading between the lines, that likely means Apple has no plans to jump onto the mobile payments bandwagon, at least not at this point. Past rumors have continually suggested that the company … Read more

Apple sets WWDC for June 10-14

This year's edition of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, the place to find out about what's in the works for Mac OS and iOS, is set for June 10 to 14.

The five-day event will take place at San Francisco's Moscone West Center, bringing together Apple executives and engineers with developers from around the world working on apps and other software technologies for the iPhone, iPad, and Macs.

"Our developers have had the most prolific and profitable year ever, and we're excited to show them the latest advances in software technologies and developer tools to … Read more

Apple: Newest victim of the law of large numbers

Give Tim Cook his due. The man could sweet talk the spots off a leopard and the big cat would be left feeling awfully proud about his suddenly spanking new coat of gold.

So it was that following Apple's second-quarter earnings report on Tuesday Cook came across in the company's conference call with analysts as a CEO without a care in the world. He was "confident." He was "pleased."And of course, he was "excited."

He also was spinning Apple's performance for all it was worth.

"We do want to … Read more

A measure of Apple's success: Oppenheimer cites Japan

Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer took a minute during Tuesday's earnings conference call to cite Apple's success in Japan -- an important metric in a country where national brands were once invincible.

"In Japan, IDC Japan announced that iPhone gained the number one position for all of calendar year 2012, as well as for calendar Q4 2012 in both handsets and smartphones," Oppenheimer said.

He continued. "This is also the first time a non-Japanese company has achieved the No. 1 spot for an entire year...In addition, Apple was ranked No. 1 in Nikkei'… Read more

Halo still in effect: Apple sees iPads as gateway to Macs

When the iPod first came out, Apple hoped it would help drive sales of the Mac. The reason was simple: at first, you needed a Mac to use the svelte little MP3 player. The phenomenon was dubbed the halo effect because customers would be expected to gravitate to Apple's other products.

Of course, what ended up happening instead was that Apple soon made iTunes and its music store available for Windows users, switched from Firewire to the more ubiquitous USB, and went on to sell millions of iPods, dominating both the digital music and MP3 player markets in the … Read more

Tim Cook leaves door open for larger iPhone

While Apple maintains that the iPhone 5's 4-inch display is the best around, the company hasn't totally ruled out making a device with a larger screen.

When questioned Tuesday about Apple's stance on a 5-inch screen, CEO Tim Cook didn't exactly expound on the virtues of a larger screen -- in fact, he did just the opposite -- but he never wholly rejected the idea of going bigger either.

"My view continues to be that iPhone 5 has the absolute best display in the industry," Cook said on a postearnings call with investors. "… Read more

Cook promises 'amazing' Apple products in the fall

Apple CEO Tim Cook said Tuesday that the company will announce some new products this fall but wouldn't offer any specifics.

"Our teams are hard at work on some amazing new hardware, software and services that we can't wait to introduce this fall and throughout 2014," he said during the company's earnings call Tuesday afternoon. But apparently, he can wait.

When asked by an analyst if this meant Apple won't release any other new products until fall, Cook wouldn't dish.

"I don't want to be more specific, but I'm just … Read more

Apple admits to middle age truth: It's finally slowing down

By any measure, Apple's supercharged 2012 is making this year pretty tough. So much so that CEO Tim Cook in effect cautioned Wall Street analysts against making comparisons.

"Fiscal 2012 results were incredibly strong, and that's making it difficult," Cook said on Apple's second-quarter earnings conference call, rattling off all that made last year so good: high growth, high demand, fatter gross margins, and historically low costs for components.

And yet that's what investors do: They make comparisons to prior years and make a bet on the stock based on what the future looks … Read more