Apple's Q4 2025 Earnings Call Takeaways

[spazzcat]

Cook said that demand for the iPhone 17 models is "off the chart." Traffic in stores is up significantly, and Cook said that consumer reception is "very strong." Apple set a September quarter record for upgraders.

iPhone supply was constrained during the quarter, and several iPhone 17 models are still constrained. Cook said Apple is working hard to fulfill all the orders that it has.

And this why Apple doesn't need to rush to release an folding phone. I'm sure they are working on one and when the tech is there they will release it.

 

[bgillander]

The doom has already happened. Not to the shareholders mind you but to the magic that was Apple.
It's sad to watch a once mythical and great American company devolve into nothing more than a marketing machine whose only goal is to make as much money as possible for wealthy investors. Dreamers have been replaced by accountants and Apple has been replaced by Microsoft from the 90s.

I'm trying to figure out where some people get this idea that Apple, despite the fact that they have been publicly traded since 1980, was never a business trying to make money for their shareholders.

 

[Spock]

I will always find it odd seeing the Mac making up so little of Apples bottom line. Apple could kill the Mac tomorrow and it would barely make a dent.

 

[justanotherdave]

They should be required to separate out the money extorted from developers. Since that’s not going to happen developers themselves should set up a website or something where everyone can report how much money was taken from them. As long as everyone is locked in then Apple has no right to take anything more than the processing fee imposed by the banks.

I’m a developer. I’m not being extorted. I’m paying a small fee to be on the (by far) most profitable ecosystem in the world.

Even if Android had 0% fees I’d still make more money on The App Store if Apple raised fees to 60%. Yes, that’s not a typo—60% fees and I’d keep more money.

 

[Saturn007]

Cook: “The product lineup is incredibly strong or strong as ever.”​

Oops! Which one, Tim?! The “or” makes this a milquetoast statement.

Someone in their PR or proofreading department inadvertently let that slip by! “As strong as ever” means no improvement!

He should have said,

“The product lineup is incredibly strong — AND as strong as ever.”​

Or, if true, and not puffery, even better would have been:

“Our incredibly strong line-up is STRONGER than ever!”​

 

[lotones]

I’m a developer. I’m not being extorted. I’m paying a small fee to be on the (by far) most profitable ecosystem in the world.

Even if Android had 0% fees I’d still make more money on The App Store if Apple raised fees to 60%. Yes, that’s not a typo—60% fees and I’d keep more money.

Thanks for the much needed reality check.

 

[lotones]

Cook: “The product lineup is incredibly strong or strong as ever.”​

Oops! Which one, Tim?! The “or” makes this a milquetoast statement.

Someone in their PR or proofreading department inadvertently let that slip by! “As strong as ever” means no improvement!

He should have said,

“The product lineup is incredibly strong — AND as strong as ever.”​

Or, if true, and not puffery, even better would have been:

“Our incredibly strong line-up is STRONGER than ever!”​

The "or" makes perfect sense. Some products are performing "incredibly strong", but not as "strong as ever".

Admit it, you just REALLY wanted to find something/anything to criticize TC about, didn''t you? 😅

 

[Fallforward]

LOL iPad sales are “flat” with just under $7B.

A number that’s bigger than the GDP of many nations - just from a tablet is mind-boggling

Sure, starting with Malawi at $6.9 billion with a population of 21 million and per capita GDP $330 and Niger $6.5B GDP, 27M people and $240 per capita.

 

[sjsharksfan12]

Services

Apple's Services segment hit a new all-time revenue record, reaching $28.8 billion, up from $25 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Services set revenue records in Americas, Europe, Japan, Rest of Asia Pacific, and a September quarter record in Greater China. Payment services hit an all-time revenue record and there was double-digit growth on Apple Pay active users.

Services revenue has surpassed $100 billion for the year, up 14 percent.

I wish people would stop touting all time highs. I see the same thing in WWE with attendence. Prices have increased a lot across the board, so yeah you are going to reach all time highs. I wish there was a new way to look at success or not.

 

[bgillander]

I wish people would stop touting all time highs. I see the same thing in WWE with attendence. Prices have increased a lot across the board, so yeah you are going to reach all time highs. I wish there was a new way to look at success or not.

Only on MacRumors can I imagine seeing someone read about an earnings call and complain that it is all about earnings.

Next I expect there will be people on here complaining about rumors that haven't even happened... oh, wait... never mind.

 

[bushman4]

Takeaways…..
iPhone series 17 selling well. Current holiday quarter to see 10% increase yoy iPhone sales
Services holding it owns

 

[Abazigal]

They should be required to separate out the money extorted from developers. Since that’s not going to happen developers themselves should set up a website or something where everyone can report how much money was taken from them. As long as everyone is locked in then Apple has no right to take anything more than the processing fee imposed by the banks.

Are Steam and Nintendo also scamming developers by taking 30% as well?

 

[Happy_John]

I will always find it odd seeing the Mac making up so little of Apples bottom line. Apple could kill the Mac tomorrow and it would barely make a dent.

Yes and no, I’d imagine.

Dropping the Mac would leave a massive Hole in the ecosystem, and would have a negative effekt on sales of the other ranges.

The main reason I have a iPhone is because I have always used Macs professionalisme at at home ( I know, I know, this makes me an old fart). I wouldn’t consider buying an Android phone for that reason alone.

“The integration of the ecosystem” is still the most common reason shown in survets as why people buy multiple Apple products. Chip out one piece of the ecosystem and all other pences also become less attractive.

 

[NetMage]

As long as everyone is locked in then Apple has no right to take anything more than the processing fee imposed by the banks.

Because storage and bandwidth and network management and development tools and API creation are all free, right?

Before the App Store, mobile OS stores commonly charged developers 50% minimum for a much worse experience. Apple created the inexpensive App Store of the modern smartphone age.

 

[NetMage]

It still boggles my mind that wearables, which are essentially luxury products, are outperforming the Mac.

The Mac won't save your life. The Watch quite possibly could, in multiple different ways.