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Apple Q4 results: revenues rise but profits fall

Apple Q4 results: revenues rise but profits fall

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The average price of an iPhone is at an all-time low

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apple earnings

Apple has just published its financial results for its final fiscal quarter of 2013, revealing a $7.5 billion profit on $37.5 billion in revenue. That's up on last year's $36 billion revenue, but gross margin is down from 40 percent last year to 37 percent. The figures beat expectations — Apple gave guidance of $34 to $37 billion revenue for the quarter and recently clarified that it expected the results to be "near the high end" of that guidance.

Listen to Apple's entire Q4 2013 earnings call right here:

The introduction of the 5S and 5C helped sales of Apple's iPhone rise to 33.8 million, setting a record for Q4, and the number is up significantly from Q4 2012's 26.9 million. The two new devices were only on sale for a week and a half in this financial quarter, but given that Apple managed to ship 9 million iPhones in the devices' launch weekend, it's safe to say they helped boost Apple's numbers. Releasing the iPhones so close to the end of a financial quarter will provide next quarter's results with a similar launch boost.

iPhone ASP at an all-time low

ASP (Average Selling Price), a key figure that helps us understand what type of iPhone and iPad Apple is selling, was flat. Last quarter saw a historic low of $581 in revenue per iPhone sold, implying the company was selling more lower-end handsets than ever before. This quarter, that figure slipped slightly lower, down to $577.

iPad sales were predictably stagnant, given the intense anticipation for the new iPads Apple announced last week. Compared to last year's 14 million and last quarter's 14.6 million, overall sales were slightly up year over year at 14.1 million. Just like the iPhone, iPad ASP hit a historic low of $436 last quarter, with the steady decline in ASP likely attributable to the release of the cheaper iPad mini. Without the launch of new iPads this quarter, there wasn't a significant change to ASP; it rose to $439 quarter over quarter, but is down significantly year over year.

iPad, Mac, and iPod all performed within expectations

The Mac line, once the core of Apple's business, now represents a sliver of its revenues when compared to iOS devices. Total revenue reached $5.62 billion, representing roughly 4.6 million devices sold. That's almost flat — it shipped roughly 4.9 million Macs in Q4 2012. iPod sales fell yet again. Where last year Apple shipped 6.75 million iPods for just over $1 billion in revenue, this quarter it only managed 3.5 million iPods for $573 million in revenue.

Aaron Souppouris contributed to this article.