Topping tech headlines Wednesday, Apple on Tuesday reported sales of 26 million iPhones and 17 million iPads during the most recent quarter.
Apple iPad sales were up 84 percent from last year and up from the 11.8 million it sold last quarter; iPhone sales rose 28 percent from last year, but fell from the 35.1 million sold in the previous quarter. Cupertino admitted that next-generation iPhone talk has affected sales of the current lineup. Apple CEO Tim Cook said there is “incredible anticipation” over future products. In other product news, the company sold 4 million Macs, the same as last quarter, and announced today’s release of its new OS, Mountain Lion.
While Cook declined to comment Tuesday on new carrier additions to the iDevice line, the Apple phone has found a good home with AT&T, which sold about a million more iPhones than Verizon during the most recent quarter. AT&T sold 3.7 million iPhones during the quarter, which topped the 2.7 million that Verizon moved. But Verizon sold a hefty number of Android devices, while AT&T only sold 1.4 million non-iPhone smartphones.
Meanwhile, some of Comcast’s existing net users will get a free boost in Internet speeds. Comcast announced that it will double the speed of two Internet tiers in certain markets for no additional charge. Comcast also announced plans for a new tier, Xfinity Platinum Internet, for Northeast markets, with download speeds reaching 305 Mbps and upload speeds as high at 65 Mbps.
Also making headlines Tuesday:
- Apple Sees Dip in China, But Touts ‘Incredible’ Growth: Despite a seasonal slip in Chinese sales, Cupertino reported 25 percent growth in Asia-Pacific in the last year.
- Netflix Returns to Profit Amidst Mixed Subscriber Numbers: Netflix announced a recent-quarter net income of $6.2 million, following a $4.6 million first-quarter stumble.
- Apple’s OS X Mountain Lion Coming July 25: Mac’s newest OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion hit shelves today, available for $19.99 for machines running Snow Leopard or Lion. Any Mac purchased since June 11 can get a free copy of the new OS.
- Craigslist Sues PadMapper, 3Taps Over Listings: Craigslist sued apartment-hunting site PadMapper and aggregation service 3Taps for unlawfully repurposing its listings.
- Qualcomm to Demo Wireless Charging Tech for Electric Cars: Wireless electric vehicle charging technology will be tested in London later this year in preparation for integration into the Delta E-4 Cuope electric cars.
- Report: Apple’s Fall Lineup Includes 13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro: A KGI analyst predicts that Apple will unveil a number of tweaked products, including the iPad Mini, a 13-inch Retina MacBook, and a new iPod touch.
- Eight Charged in U.K. Tabloid Phone-Hacking Scandal: Former News of the World editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson were among the people charged with crimes connected to the phone-hacking scandal that shut down the 168-year-old U.K. tabloid last year.
- Contest Wants Ideas for Steve Jobs Memorial in Russia: A St. Petersburg foundation is holding a contest to find the perfect Steve Jobs monument to be installed in the Russian capital.
- Apple Demands $2.5 Billion Patent Deal From Samsung: Apple and Samsung continue to battle over patents, most recently resulting in Cupertino filing for a $2.525 billion pay-up from Samsung.
- Anonymous Targets Australian Govt Sites Over Web Security Bill: In retaliation against an Internet privacy bill, the Australian arm of hacker group Anonymous knocked out at least 10 of the country’s government websites.
- Verizon, Redbox Begin Testing New Video Service: Verizon and Redbox have begun testing their forthcoming joint video service, which will offer DVD rentals and streaming video, according to a report.
- German Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Ban Expanded to Entire EU: A German ban on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.7 now includes the entire European Union.
