Apple released their staggering 1Q 2012 results yesterday and in what’s quickly becoming a tradition around these parts, I thought I’d break down the numbers.

Apple sold 37.04 million iPhones in the 14 weeks ending December 31st. That works out to 377,959 iPhones per day or 4.37 iPhones per second, every second.

The company sold 15.4 million iPads–That’s an average of 157,143 per day or 1.82 iPads every second of every day of the quarter.

So, setting aside iPod Touches (Apple doesn’t break down iPod sales by model) that’s over half a million iOS devices sold each day, or over six devices per second. I’ve said it before, but the sheer logistical feat of manufacturing and delivering anything at this velocity is mind-blowing.

When I talk to companies that are interested in iOS development, I’m inevitably asked about the size of the installed base. My answer is always the same: “Who cares?” With new devices being sold at this clip, you can have an app with insanely great reach without a single download from the “installed base.”