What's scary is 2011 will probaly be even bigger. The iPhone will be carred by Verizon, possibly other carriers and will  probably get a new version. The iPad will sell for an entire year with increased production and probably a new version.

The money they make is insane. They recently spent something like 3.9B on what is rumoured to either be a retina display for the iPad or improved batteries.

Yeah, they only hold ~5% of the PC market, ~3% of all cell phones, and who knows how big the tablet market might get. The only market Apple works in that doesn't have huge growth potential is portable media players.

Just my personal opinion, but I think most of the people who buy the newer Apple products are sheep. In most cases the entry product, let's take iPod nano for example, I have one, I brought it a year and a half ago, it's 16GB and blue. I see insane amount of people instead of opting for that cheaper option willing to pay some £30-50 more to get the now newer version of it, the only difference is the camera, question, WHY THE FUCK, would you want a camera on your iPod nano for!? Same with iPhone 4G, bar the design there is really not that much different with 3G, and the price difference is now in the region of £100-200 on the market. I really can't see how people are willing to pay extra money just to get a miniature useless features and some social status elevation as a result. I don't follow sheep, I get an android.

EDIT: Same shit with iPod touch, LETS TACKLE A CAMERA ON IT AND SELL IT FOR MORE YE?

You don't actually have a clue as to what the hardware differences between these models are, do you? Why don't you look up the specs of the 3GS versus the iPhone 4 and then call people sheep for paying an extra 20% for the premium model.

I just wanted to add that in terms of being sheep there are far worse offenders. See the fashion industry if you want examples... many of the items they buy and maybe wear once are in the hundreds or thousands of dollars.

As I said just my personal opinion, I really doubt that when it comes to releasing the hardware, the upgrade is worthy the pricetag, if anything just the apple logo alone makes it worth £200. I mean kudos to Steve Jobs for stunning the masses into purchasing every upgrade that comes out despite the somewhat sublime differences. The 1st/maybe 2nd gen are what's really new additions to the market, anything else does not justify such a high price tag, as again, my opinion.

In the US they are roughly the same price as the other high end phones. I have an android phone with 2.3 but it still has many bugs, deficiencies and the apps are very inconsistent working, plus there is no netflix. The apps are just plain better on the iPhone in most cases, consistent and easier to setup.

In UK, On amazon.uk, the difference between an iPhone 4G and Galaxy S in a region of £200, that's about $300.

I don't really follow the phone industry in such a detail as to know the latest of the Android releases, I am quite satisfied with my Xperia, just finding it ludicrous that people are selling their 3G for around £200 and adding £200, to put it in perspective they're selling it for $300 and adding the same value on top to get the somewhat little bit different version of the same phone, after all, phone is there to make calls, maybe an ocassional browse through the web, albeit now they're being effectively converted into handheld entertainment devices.

The only reason Apple makes so much money is reselling their product over and over again every year. Each year they release a new model for I-Phone, I-Pod and now I-Pad. Each version has some new features which make it a must for Apple fans, these fans go out buy the newest phone , Pad or Pod.

My Uncle has had every I-Phone since the first one launched, he has had over 7 I-Pods according to his bragging. He also has had several Apple computers and now a Apple TV. He was bragging at Christmas how he will soon be buying the new I-Pad as soon as its availible.

Those are the consumers I'm talking about. Where PSP and DS do have new models Nintendo and Sony etc...etc... don't upgrade every year. If their was a new model with new features every single year consumers with money would blow big bucks and we would probubly see similiar sales.

Also as it works with my uncle , these Apple fans upgrade constantly selling their old Pods, phones and soon Pads to consumers who couldn't afford the newest model. My uncle gave both me and my sister two of his older I-Pods. He gave other family members his old I-Phone and what he didn't give he resold.

So now those poorer consumers get a refurbished or used I-product. They get hooked and as soon as they can afford a new model bingo they buy the newest model. I wonder how much of the total sales are repurchases? Theirs no doubt they have major selling abilities but a huge part of that is resale.