Apple sales boosted by its burgeoning services arm

The US-based retailer unveiled a 7% year-on-year sales uplift to $45.4bn, BBC reported.

Its newly expanded services unit brought in nearly $7.3bn in the three months to June 30 – up 22% year-on-year.

But the retailer said sales were robust across its other product lines too, including iPhones and iPads.

Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook said reports about the new, updated iPhone model – due to be released next month – may have caused some people to “pause” purchases of existing models.

“While that affects us in the short-term, it probably bodes well,” he said.

Despite some people waiting for the new models, the number of iPhones sold in the quarter rose 2%, driven by strong demand in markets such as Latin America and the Middle East. The growth lifted revenue from iPhones by 3% to $24.8bn.

The number of iPads sold climbed 28% year-on-year, while revenues from the product increased 2%.

The jump follows the introduction of new models, as well as efforts to incorporate the tablets into operations at schools and businesses.

Sales from other devices, such as the Apple Watch and Apple TV, advanced 23%.

According to the firm’s chief financial officer Luca Maestri, Apple Pay now accounts for almost 90% of mobile payment transactions around the world, and active paying accounts on the App Store are also on the rise.