Apple increased its research and development budget to nearly $2.8 billion during the second fiscal quarter of 2017, meaning the company spent a almost $5.7 billion on the line item over the past six months. 

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing published on Tuesday, Apple spent a total of $2.78 billion on R&D for the second fiscal quarter of 2017, equal to just over 5 percent of quarterly net sales. The figure represents an increase of $266 million from the same period a year ago. 

While an official explanation for the increased outlay was not mentioned, Apple has in the past connected R&D growth to new hires and related expenses. Like other successful tech industry firms, Apple consistently grows its R&D commitment with each passing quarter as its various product segments expand. 

Increased R&D expenditures are often solely attributed to work on future products, which is true to a certain extent, but much of the year-over-year growth can be chalked up to maintenance of existing lines. 

For the three-month period ending in March, Apple posted iPhone sales of 50.8 million units, a contraction from the year ago quarter. Mac sales were up slightly, while iPad sales declined to 8.9 million units. 

Source: appleinsider