Apple's Tim Cook speaks: The 6 things you need to know - CNET

Cook didn't mince words when talking about what Apple's running into around the world.

"We're seeing extreme conditions, unlike anything we've experienced before just about everywhere we look," Cook said. He noted that key markets including Brazil, Canada and Japan, were hurt by the slowing economy, falling commodity prices and weakening currencies.

That's a bigger deal because 66 percent of Apple's revenue comes from outside the US, Cook said. In addition, he blamed currency fluctuations for this quarter's weaker revenue figure. The company posted revenue of $75.9 billion, but Cook said that if you took out the currency exchange rate, it would have been $80.8 billion.

2. China's still doing great (kind of)

Apple's strongest market for the past year has been China, but even it's starting to see slowing sales thanks to an economic downtu that have folks gun-shy about buying a pricey iPhone.

Cook, however, noted that Apple posted its "best ever" results from China, with revenue growing 14 percent from a year ago. There's certainly a deceleration; its growth a year ago was 99 percent. Sales growth in the fiscal fourth quarter was 70 percent.

"We remain very confident about the long-term potential of the China market and the large opportunities ahead of us," he said, "and we are maintaining our investment plans."

3. One billion devices

For the first time, Apple crossed over the 1 billion mark for active devices around the world. That includes iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs, iPods and Apple Watches. Cook argues that huge numbers mean a greater likelihood of success for services like Apple Pay and Apple Music.

"This is an unbelievable asset for us," he said.

4. Apple services on the rise

Speaking of services, Cook mentioned that consumers have spent billions of dollars in purchases through Apple Pay, a mobile payment system that lets you pay at the cash register with the wave of your phone. Apple Music, meanwhile, has gained 10 million paying subscribers since the free trial ended.

With hardware sales potentially in decline, Apple will lean more heavily on getting you to use its services as another way to generate money.

"Because our customers are very satisfied and engaged, they spend a lot of time on their devices and purchase apps, content and other services," he said.

5. Cook 'blown away' by Android switchers

In a subtle reminder that Apple is still sitting prettier than its rivals, Cook said he was "blown away" by the level of consumers switching from Android devices to iPhones. He added it was the highest level so far.

That's partly why Cook said that although iPhone sales will decline in the fiscal second quarter, they likely won't fall as much as people fear.

6. Virtual reality is not a niche