ATT, Apple, And Delta -- April 28, 2021

So, imagine you sell smartphones at the local ATT kiosk. How would you like this on your resume:

• sold 19,000 iPhones in one day

Well, whoever signed that contract can tell her family she just sold 19,000 iPhones today.

Link here.

Headline: Delta rolling out iPhone 12 to over 19,000 flight attendants.

In partnership with AT&T and Apple, U.S. airline Delta will equip every one of its over 19,000 flight attendants with an iPhone 12 to "enhance the travel experience for all passengers," it was announced today. 

Citing "white privilege," "critical race theory," equity, equality, and "liberté, egalité, fraternité, Delta said the pilots will get entry level Samsung phones. Co-pilots will use Microsoft Surface "things."

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Headlines

After today's earnings report and conference call, these headlines over at MacRumors:

• iPhone 12 is the most popular model in flagship lineup;
• Apple services revenue hits all-time record high of $17 billion in 2Q21;
• Apple's wearables category sets quarterly revenue record of $8 billion in 2Q21; 
• Apple's Mac revenue up 70% in 2Q21; iPad revenue up almost 80%;
• Apple reports 2Q21 results: $24 billion profit on $90 billion revenue; record Mac and services revenue;

Other:

• EPS: $1:40 vs 99 cents forecast; vs 64 cents one year ago;
• revenue: $90 billion vs $77 billion forecast; vs $58 billion one year ago;
• profit: $24 billion vs $11 billion one year ago
• if I read the chart correctly, this was the second-best quarterly record ever in the history of Apple;

Wireless carriers discounting the iPhone 12 pushes Apple to a blow-out quarter. Link here.  

Two years ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook made peace with Qualcomm to end an acrimonious patent dispute, agreeing to pay high royalties for the chipmaker's technology. He then turned around and bet big on Qualcomm's best 5G chips for superfast mobile connections, adding them to all of last year's iPhone 12 line up.

Cook's bet paid off.

Apple on Wednesday announced earnings for the first three months of 2021 that crushed Wall Street's forecasts, sending the company's shares up 4% in after-hours trading. Overall sales rose an astounding 54% to $89.6 billion, blowing past the average analyst estimate of $77 billion. Profits came in at $1.40 per share, also well above the average estimate of 98 cents.

IPhone sales led the way, rising 66% to $48 billion.