Apple on Tuesday sent a strong message with a surprising showing in the period before the unveiling of the 10th-anniversary iPhone: it's not always all about its flagship device.

The world's most valuable company reported a record quarterly revenue for its Services unit in its fiscal third quarter, and, coupled with a revival in iPad sales, broke the mold in this three-month period, which is traditionally the company's weakest quarter.

"With revenue seven per cent up year-on-year, we're happy to report our third consecutive quarter of accelerating growth and an all-time quarterly record for Services revenue," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.

And one more major announcement aimed for users in the UAE: Apple Pay is officially coming to the nation, the company announced during the conference call, which was held at 1am Dubai time on Wednesday.

The UAE will be one of four countries to have the service before year-end.

"The reach, usage and functionality of Apple Pay continue to grow," Apple said in a statement released after the call. "The UAE, Denmark, Finland and Sweden are scheduled to go live before the end of this calendar year."

It added that Apple Pay is "by far the No.1 NFC payment service on mobile devices, with nearly 90 per cent of all transactions globally."

Source: Khaleej Times