Due to the slowing economy and consumers delaying purchases of computers and iPads due to increased pricing, Apple sales have continued to decline.

The internet giant reported that revenue fell by 3% to $94.8 billion (£75.4 billion) in the first three months of the year from the same time in 2022.

That was the company's second consecutive quarter of declining sales.

The demand for iPhones kept steady, though, and the company gained new clients abroad, so the reduction was not as terrible as anticipated.

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, spoke with analysts and highlighted the company's expansion in India, where it is investing extensively and where he visited last month to inaugurate the first two of its official stores there.

"Overall I couldn't be more delighted and excited by the enthusiasm I'm seeing for the brand there," he said.

Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world and its sales are closely watched as a sign of retail strength.

The company said it was facing a "challenging macroeconomic environment", echoing comments by other companies which have warned that customers, hit by the rising cost of living and economic uncertainty, are pulling back.

Apple had warned investors that sales in the January-March period could fall by as much as 5% year-on-year.

But the results were buoyed by a 1.5% year-on-year increase in iPhone sales, which hit $51.3bn - a record for the quarter. The company said that was lifted by strong demand in south Asia and Latin America.

In India, where the firm's overall sales grew by double digits, Mr Cook said he saw big growth opportunities as the country's middle class expands, saying the country was at a "tipping point".

Apple's services unit, which includes Apple Music, Apple News and Apple Pay, saw sales rise 5% year-on-year to more than $20bn.

In Europe, where many other firms have reported weakness, sales gained more than 2%.

However, sales sank more than 7% in the Americas, its biggest market.

Profits also fell more than 3% year-on-year, to roughly $24.2bn. But that was better than expected, as supply chain problems receded.

Apple's report follows a series of updates from other tech giants, including Facebook-owner Meta and Alphabet, parent company of Google, which had also been better than expected.