Free iOS, Mac apps to hide nearly $1 billion of Apple’s new cash

After making OS X Mavericks a free update for Mac users and converting Pages, Keynote, Numbers, iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand into free bundled apps for both iOS and Macs, Apple said it would hide an additional $900 million from next quarter’s reported revenue accounting.

The increase in the delayed accounting of some iPhone, iPad and Mac revenues will give Apple’s fiscal Q1 2014 the appearance of flat revenues, despite being a holiday quarter. Apple will still be collecting the cash; the change only applies to the company’s accounting of those funds.