Wu said that the lower sales were likely due, at least in part, to lower production, while the company devoted resources to ramping production for the iPad mini. Consumer expectation for the smaller iPad, rumored well ahead of its official Tuesday launch, may also have impacted iPad sales.

Apple watchers will also be listening to see if Apple discloses how many iPhone 5 units it has sold so far. Only early iPhone 5 sales will be in this earnings report for the September quarter, but the handset did have a record-breaking first weekend of sales.

The earnings report from Verizon Wireless earlier this month also indicated that consumers were still interested in older iPhones before the iPhone 5 hit store shelves — meaning that Apple may have weathered the normal “transition” slowdown between devices a little better than it normally does.

The most important quarter for Apple — and all technology companies — is on the horizon, as they gear up for the holiday season. Analysts may have questions for the company about its revamped schedule for iPad releases and the pricing strategy on the iPad mini — questions that consumers will want answers for as well.

But it will be interesting to see if Apple can join Facebook as the only major tech company to surpass expectations for the quarter. Google and Microsoft both missed analyst expectations for the September quarter last week, and Apple’s stock has taken a hit since its Tuesday event.