Apple opens new chapter as iPhone sales fall

Apple hoped to offset slowing demand for iPhones by raising the prices of its most important product, but that strategy seems to have backfired after sales sagged during the holiday shopping season.

Results released Tuesday revealed the magnitude of the iPhone slump a 15 per cent drop in revenue from the previous year.

That decline in Apple's most profitable product caused Apple's total earnings for the October-December quarter to dip slightly to USD 20 billion.

Now, CEO Tim Cook is grappling with his toughest challenge since replacing co-founder Steve Jobs 7 years ago.

Even as he tries to boost iPhone sales, Cook also must prove that Apple can still thrive even if demand doesn't rebound.

It figures to be an uphill battle, given Apple's stock has lost one-third of its value in less than four months, erasing about USD 370 billion in shareholder wealth.

Cook rattled Wall Street in early January by disclosing the company had missed its own revenue projections for the first time in 15 years.

The last time that happened, the iPod was just beginning to transform Apple.

"This is the defining moment for Cook," said Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives.

"He has lost some credibility on Wall Street, so now he will have to do some handholding as the company enters this next chapter."