Oct 31, 2019 - Technology

As iPhone sales fall again, Apple eyes 5G as the answer

Dion Rabouin

Ads for the iPhone 11 at a storefront — Photo: Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Apple delivered a generally positive earnings report on Wednesday, with CEO Tim Cook telling Reuters that iPhone 11 was off to a "very, very good start," despite sales falling 9.2% in the quarter, continuing a pattern that has been in place for the past year.

Why it matters: The iPhone is the bulk of Apple's business and critical to driving demand for its other products, but a report from Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, said Apple expects iPhone sales to return to growth next year, thanks to the introduction of 5G.

The company will be entering the 5G arena at least a year behind companies including Samsung and Huawei.
"Apple aims to ship more than 200 million handsets in 2020 after introducing more than four new iPhone models, possibly including 4G and 5G models and a low-cost successor to the budget iPhone SE device," Bloomberg reported, based on information from the anonymous source.

The big picture: Apple reported revenue of $64 billion, up 2% from a year earlier, but the report marked the first time since CEO Tim Cook took over in 2011 that the company’s profit has declined in all four quarters of a fiscal year.

Go deeper... Apple: iPhone 11 off to "very, very good start"

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As iPhone sales fall again, Apple eyes 5G as the answer

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