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2.2 million more Apple TVs sold this year than last, but 'it still has the hobby label'

2.2 million more Apple TVs sold this year than last, but 'it still has the hobby label'

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Apple TV 2012 hero (EMBARGO)
Apple TV 2012 hero (EMBARGO)

One Apple product missing from its Q4 2012 sales breakdown today is the company's "hobby:" the Apple TV. CEO Tim Cook has just offered up some information on how the media streamer is doing during the earnings call, however, stating that it managed to sell 1.2 million units during the quarter — an over 100 percent increase from last year, but 100,000 less than it sold last quarter.


That brings the total number of Apple TVs sold for the year to 5 million, up from 2.8 million last year. Compared to the 26 million iPhones and 17 million iPads sold during the the quarter, the Apple TV certainly remains a minor player for the company, but the growth is certainly positive. Still, just like last quarter, Cook is keeping "the hobby label" on the product since its revenue is "quite small." He does concede that "it's a beloved hobby, but we continue to focus on it, and believe there's something there."

The business continues to grow well, but if you look at the revenue, it's quite small, so it still has the hobby label. But it's a beloved hobby, but we continue to focus on it, and believe there's something there. We'll continue to pull the string and see where it takes us.