Apple hasn't released any new products in about six months, but investors have plenty to look forward to this year and in 2014. Company CEO Tim Cook said plenty is coming later this year and throughout 2014, and that includes more than just hardware.
"Our teams are hard at work at some amazing new hardware, software, and services that we can't wait to introduce this fall and throughout 2014," Mr. Cook said during Apple's second quarter earnings conference call on Tuesday. "Apple has many distinct and unique advantages as the only company in the industry with skills in hardware and software services."
The company isn't saying exactly what's in store, or when it will ship, but it's a fairly safe bet to assume that new iPhone and iPad models are on the way. Last year, Mr. Cook said that Mac Pro users can expect something this year, so presumably there's a Mac tower model update on the way, too.
Apple reported sales at $43.6 billion for its second fiscal quarter of 2013, beating Wall Street's $42.49 billion estimate. The company sold 37.41 million iPhones, 19.5 million iPads, and just short of 4 million Macs during the quarter.
Mr. Cook also said that new services were coming, which could be a hint that the company's rumored music streaming service is finally on the way.
Letting analysts and investors know new products are coming was a smart move for Apple since the company has essentially lost control over its news cycle since revamping nearly its entire product line last October. There haven't been any new product announcements since then, leaving analysts, journalists and bloggers to speculate on what's coming, and why we've gone so long without something new.
Mr. Cook's choice of words, however, could still leave investors at least a little concerned because he clearly focused on this fall and next year. When asked by an analyst during Tuesday's earnings conference call whether or not any new products would be coming this spring or summer, Mr. Cook replied, "I don't want to be more specific, but I'm just saying we've got some really great stuff coming in the fall and across all of 2014."
Apple's new product drought may finally be coming to an end, assuming Mr. Cook has announcements coming soon. "We've got a lot more surprises in the works," he added.
[This article has been updated with additional comments from Tim Cook]