Apple says there are 1.4 billion active Apple devices

Apple announced its first-quarter earnings results today, and though the company reported that iPhone sales revenue fell 15 percent during the holiday quarter, it hit a new milestone for the number of active devices installed. Apple says there are now 1.4 billion active Apple devices, which basically covers anything running on one of the company’s software platforms; iPhones, Macs, iPads, Apple TVs, iPods, and Apple Watches are included in this category, while accessories like AirPods aren’t. Of those devices, 900 million are active iPhones in use, which is up 9 percent over the previous year, according to a stat CFO Luca Maestri gave in a Financial Times interview. 

“While it was disappointing to miss our revenue guidance, we manage Apple for the long term, and this quarter’s results demonstrate that the underlying strength of our business runs deep and wide,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said. “Our active installed base of devices reached an all-time high of 1.4 billion in the first quarter, growing in each of our geographic segments.”

Apple first crossed the 1 billion threshold of active devices in 2016, the number was up to 1.3 billion in 2018. For comparison, Google announced there were more than 2 billion active monthly devices running Android in 2017. 

As iPhone sales hit market saturation and older phones being handed down or traded in, Apple will be more inclined to share numbers of its growing install base rather than declining sales numbers. For Apple, the installed base of active devices is important as the company further develops its service businesses like iCloud storage, apps, Apple Music, and its upcoming streaming video service.

The Article was Published on : TheVerge