Apple CEO Tim Cook has criticised Microsoft’s new Surface tablet, despite admitting that he hasn’t used one yet.
Speaking to journalists and analysts during Apple’s financial results conference call, Cook said he was confident that consumers will still choose Apple’s iPad or iPad mini ahead of Microsoft’s offering.
"I haven’t personally played with the Surface yet," Cook said on the call, "but what we’re reading about it is that it’s a fairly compromised, confusing product. I suppose you could design a car that flies and floats, but I don’t think it would do all of those things very well."
"And so I think people, when they look at the iPad versus competitive offerings are going to conclude they really want an iPad," he added.
Apple’s financial results revealed a dip in iPad sales during the quarter, from 17 million during the previous quarter to four million this time. However the previous quarter would have been boosted by sales of the new iPad, while sales this quarter have likely been slowed as a result of people waiting for details of the next generation of iPads as well as the iPad mini.
Despite what some analysts are calling disappointing iPad figures Apple still produced another stellar quarter. Revenue jumped 27% to $36bn, while profit rose 24% to $8.2bn.
For the year as a whole Apple recorded revenue of $156.5bn, up from $108.2bn the previous financial year. Net income for the year climbed from $25.9bn last year to $41.7bn this.
