Apple on Monday reported record taxation and earnings for its financial 4th quarter , thanks to potent sale of Macs , iPhones , and iPads .

In what chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer called a “ dandy financial quarter , ” Apple report a quarterly earnings of $ 4.31 billion , compared to $ 2.53 billion for the same period last year . For the three months ended Sept. 25 . , Apple recored $ 20.34 billion in receipts , an addition of nearly 67 per centum from the twelvemonth - agone quarter ’s sales name of $ 12.21 billion .

Apple ’s pay of $ 4.64 per dilute share handily beat estimates by Wall Street analyst who were expect the company to cover net profit of $ 4.06 a portion on $ 18.86 billion in tax income for September quarter .

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“ We still have a few surprises leave for the remainder of the calendar yr , ” said CEO Steve Jobs in a statement accompanying the earnings . Apple has scheduled a public press eventfor this Wednesday where the company is expected to pore on the Mac .

iPad and iPhone sales

Robert Oppenheimer course credit record iPhone gross sales , exuberance for the iPad , and a newfangled quarterly sales record for Mac sales as the drivers behind Apple ’s firm quarterly operation . In particular , Apple trade 4.19 million iPads during the first full quarter of sale for the tablet ; all told , the company sold 7.5 million iPads during its 2010 financial class .

“ We ’re thrilled with its impulse , ” Oppenheimer said during aMonday conference call with fiscal analysts . “ We ’re escort dandy exuberance from consumers , pedagog , and businesses . ”

For the fiscal quaternary one-quarter , Apple immortalize $ 2.8 billion in sales of iPads and related accessories , with the iPad accounting for $ 2.7 billion of that figure . That translates to an mediocre selling Mary Leontyne Price of around $ 645 for the tablet , Oppenheimer said .

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iPad sales may disappoint some analyst , who were expecting Apple to sell nigh to 5 million tablets . One of the issues may be with inventory — Apple says it has three - to - four weeks worth of transmission channel inventory , which is below its aim range of four - to - six weeks . The company plans to expand its iPad statistical distribution efforts , adding retail merchant like Verizon , Walmart , Target , and AT&T into the mix as well as launch in additional countries .

As for the iPhone , the launching of the new iPhone 4 helped Apple sell 14.1 million phones during the fourth part . That ’s a 91 percent increment over the 7.4 million speech sound sell during the year - ago fourth and a new quarterly disk for smartphone sales for the ship’s company .

More to the percentage point , Apple ’s iPhone sales topped the 12.1 million phones the company claims that rival smartphone manufacturing business Research In Motion sold during its most recent quarter — a fact highlighted by chief executive officer Steve Jobs during a uncommon appearance on the quarterly earnings call with analyst .

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“ We ’ve now go by RIM , and I do n’t see them catching up to us in the future , ” said Jobs , who target most of his remarks during the league call at Google and its Android operating arrangement . Jobs called Google ’s call that Android is more undefendable than Apple ’s Io “ a bit artful ” and a “ smokescreen ” to unhinge consumers from the benefit of the desegregate experience Apple provides with its iPhone and iPad product note .

Book of Job also took purpose at the number of potential iPad competitors poised to strike the tablet market in the come months . “ It looks like a handful of believable fledgling and not an avalanche , ” said Jobs , who thinks would - be iPad rivals will suffer by offering a smaller screen size , a fragmented experience , and uncompetitive cost .

recognize tax revenue from the iPhone rose 92 percent to $ 8.82 billion . The phone is now available through 166 carriers in 89 countries . That include China , which just started sell the iPhone 4 on the final Clarence Day of Apple ’s financial quaternary quartern . The phone has been a success there , with partner China Unicom sell 100,000 phones during the first four days the new smartphone went on sales event . According to Apple COO Tim Cook , 85 of those 89 nation are trade the iPhone 4 , with the last four slate to get the newest manikin by the end of class .

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For the 2010 fiscal twelvemonth , Apple sell 40 million phones , a 93 percent jump over 2009 . During September , the company says it passed the 125 million mark for accumulative iOS sales of its iPhone , iPad , and iPod skin senses offering .

Don’t forget the Mac

Apple also catch a track record quarter for its Mac business . The society sold 3.89 million computers , up 27 percent from its year - ago sales . Fourth - quarter Mac sale pinch the previous gamey - water chump of 3.47 million mark set during the June quarter . Year - over - year sales event growth was more than double the growth rate projected for the overall personal computer market by research firm IDC , according to Oppenheimer .

Laptops keep to be the driving force behind Apple ’s Mac sales agreement , with portable products account for 71 per centum of the Macs sell during the September tail . However , sales of screen background surface nearly 28 percent to a petty more than 1 million units , on the posture of the company’siMacand Mac Pro updates over the summer .

Apple saw yr - over - year maturation in Mac sales across all of its geographical segment . increase was particularly warm in the Asia Pacific and Japan markets , which examine gross spring up 157 and 121 pct , respectively , from last year ’s fourth quartern .

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iPod sales drop

Not all of Apple ’s product lines are growing . The iPod section continue to shrink , with Apple betray 9.05 million music players during the after part — that ’s an 11 - percent drop-off from last year ’s figures . Apple updated its iPod line in September , though the company usually sees the fruit of those try during the holiday tail .

While iPod sales growth stalled throughout 2010 , Apple opted to focus on the positive Monday . It noted that the iPod ’s share of the MP3 role player mart in the U.S. keep to top 70 percent , agree to research business firm NPD ’s figures . And Apple says its music player gained market share internationally from the year - agone one-fourth . The company also reported that its iTune Store brought in more than $ 1 billion in gross for the September quarter .

Jobs even take a minute to comment on the company ’s “ hobby ” Cartesian product , the Apple TV , annunciate that it had movedmore than 250,000 unitssince the equipment went on sales agreement . That ’s the first clip the company has ever let out sales event information for the gimmick , which has gone through a number of iterations since its original introduction in 2007 . Jobs substantiate that Apple had make a motion to an all - streaming model for mental object for the twist , which will allow cyclosis of medium from iOS devices in November whenApple ships iOS 4.2 .

Retail rules

Apple ’s retail segment had what Oppenheimer call a “ record - break quarter , ” with revenue uprise 75 pct to $ 3.57 billion . Apple sold 874,000 Macs through its retail branch , an increase of 30 percent from the yr - agone quartern . The company sales that half of the Macs sold through its brick - and - mortar outlets continue to be to customers who are raw to the platform .

Apple ended the fourth quarter with 317 shop , 84 of which were outside the U.S. The company opened 24 newfangled memory during the quartern , with 16 of those opening outside of U.S. moulding . In fact , with new fund opening in Spain , Apple now has retail outlets in 11 countries .

As with the iPhone , China proved to be a fertile ground for Apple ’s retail efforts . Newly opened stores in Beijing and Shanghai enter the highest possible action day revenue when they launch during the quarter . Apple says its four memory board in China have the highest dealings of any of its exit .

bet for the company to remain to expand internationally during 2011 . It be after to open 40 to 50 computer memory during the coming financial year , with half of those slate for outside the U.S. The caller also design to begin renovating several of its U.S. stores during 2011 .

This year and next

Monday ’s earnings report closes the book on Apple ’s 2010 financial year , which saw the company record $ 65.2 billion in sale . That ’s an increase of 52 percent from the $ 42.9 billion in revenue record in 2009 . Apple turn a $ 14 billion net in 2010 , an increase of 72 percent from the previous year .

“ The September one-quarter was the culmunation of a monumental year for Apple , ” Oppenheimer said .

For the first quarter of 2011 , Oppenheimer told psychoanalyst to wait revenue of $ 23 billion and earnings per part of $ 4.80 . Apple ’s guidance tend to be on the conservative side . Prior to Monday ’s briefing , analysts were predicting earnings of $ 5.04 per plowshare on $ 22 billion in revenue for the coming quarter .

update at 1:50 p.m. PT Wednesday with more details from Apple ’s earnings release.2:01 post meridiem PT : Updated to admit more information on Mac sales.2:48 p.m. PT : Updated to summate more selective information on iPhone and iPad sales.3:25 p.m. PT : update to add more information on Mac and iPod sales.3:40 p.m. PT : Updated to add class - goal figures plus Apple ’s counsel for 2011 first quarter.4:10 p.m. PT : update to add information on Apple TV sales , outside iPhone 4 accessibility .