Apple set an iPhone sales record even without a new standard iPhone
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Apple had a record-breaking quarter for iPhone sales - despite not releasing a standard model during its latest refresh. In its fourth-quarter earnings report released on Monday, Apple says it earned $57.58 billion in iPhone revenue, marking a 17 percent jump from the same time last year. The increa
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A high-end recording studio with expensive equipment, where an audio engineer wearing noise-cancelling headphones is meticulously adjusting a new iPhone on a microphone stand, while a bemused producer looks on.
Caption: When the latest model isn't a game changer, you test the resale value.
Read the full 3-panel strip
Based on the original story on theverge.com.
Editor's note
While Apple's record-breaking iPhone sales without a standard new model suggest strong consumer loyalty and a robust existing user base, it also highlights the growing reliance on existing customers for revenue growth, rather than attracting new ones, which could limit long-term expansion potential.
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Panel 1
Apple is a tech company famous for its innovative and high-end products, including iPhones. They release new models annually, which are highly anticipated by consumers and often drive significant sales. Despite not releasing a standard new iPhone model, Apple still managed to set a sales record due to strong demand for existing models and possibly other factors like supply chain improvements or marketing efforts. The idea that Apple’s sales performance suggests people are buying iPhones not because they're new or shiny, but because they’re reliable and desirable even without the hype of a new model. ---
Panel 2
*Inside a bustling Apple Store, lined with sleek iPhones in various colors on display. A customer, looking slightly puzzled, holds an iPhone 12 in one hand and a brochure in the other. A salesperson stands by, ready to assist.*
Customer: Is this the new model? I thought we were supposed to get a new one this quarter.
Salesperson: Ah, no new model this time, but we’ve seen a huge uptick in sales—
Panel 3
*The customer looks around, noticing other customers lining up to purchase iPhones. The salesperson points to a nearby display showcasing refurbished iPhones and accessories.*
Salesperson: —even for refurbished ones like this.
Customer: Refurbished? I thought people waited for the latest and greatest?
Panel 4
*The salesperson leans in, smiling wryly as they gesture towards the display of iPhones.* Customer (nods slowly, looking convinced)
Salesperson: Apparently, people just buy iPhones because they’re iPhones.
Customer: Oh, I see. You’re right. Guess I’ll get one then.
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