Apple CFO: there’s ‘some exciting news for current and future Mac owners very soon’

Apple sold 4.89 million Macs during its fiscal 2016 fourth quarter that ended Sept. 24. That’s down 17% year-over-year, but things may be looking up.

Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri says that Mac installed base at the end of the September quarter was the biggest ever. And, obviously referring to Thursday’s “hello, again” media event said that there would be “some exciting news for current and future Mac owners very soon.”

Things were also a bit brighter for the iPad in the fiscal fourth quarter. Apple sold 9.7 million tablets during the quarter. That’s about flat with the same period a year-ago, but at least it saw the halt of a downward spiral of iPad sales. 

When it comes to the smartwatch Apple didn’t release figures (it never has). The company’s “Other Products” category (which includes the Apple Watch, iPod, Apple TV, and Beats products) were down 22% year-over-year.

However, CEO Tim Cook says that the Apple Watches, Series 2 is “off to a great start.” He also said that there would be 100 HomeKit compatible products available by year’s end.

Apple’s shares were down 2.1% at $115.75 in after-hours trading today. The shares hit a 12-month low of $89.47 in May but have been on an uptrend since then as investor confidence returned.