Apple sold 1.3 million Apple TVs during the June quarter, that’s more than the 1.1 million Xbox 360s Microsoft sold over the same period. Apple CEO Tim Cook says that still qualifies as a hobby.
Of course, they are different products, targeting different segments of the market. But not entirely. Apple TV and Xbox 360 have more and more in common as Microsoft adds features to its game console to make it more of a general purpose entertainment machine, tapping into a wide variety of online video sources.
The figures also reflect a decline in the game console market. Xbox 360 sales have been declining year-over-year along with the market.
Apple still has a long way to go. So far this fiscal year, Apple has sold 4 million of the $99 Apple TVs, while Microsoft has sold more than 10 million Xbox 360s. (Which start at $199 for the 4GB Xbox 360). All together, Microsoft has sold over 65 million Xbox 360s.
CEO Cook says Apple plans to continue investing in Apple TV. “We do it because we think it will lead us somewhere,” he said.
