Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim consolidated condensed financial statements of Applied Materials, Inc. and its subsidiaries (Applied or the Company) included herein have been prepared on a basis consistent with the October 25, 2015 audited consolidated financial statements and include all material adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to fairly present the information set forth therein. These unaudited interim consolidated condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Applied’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 25, 2015 (2015 Form 10-K). Applied’s results of operations for the three months ended January 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of future operating results. Applied’s fiscal year ends on the last Sunday in October of each year. Fiscal 2016 and 2015 contain 53 weeks and 52 weeks, respectively, and the first three months of fiscal 2016 and 2015 contained 14 weeks and 13 weeks, respectively. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. On an ongoing basis, Applied evaluates its estimates, including those related to accounts receivable and sales allowances, fair values of financial instruments, inventories, intangible assets and goodwill, useful lives of intangible assets and property and equipment, fair values of share-based awards, and income taxes, among others. Applied bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Revenue Recognition Applied recognizes revenue when all four revenue recognition criteria have been met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; seller’s price to buyer is fixed or determinable; and collectability is probable. Applied’s shipping terms are customarily FOB Applied shipping point or equivalent terms. Applied’s revenue recognition policy generally results in revenue recognition at the following points: (1) for all transactions where legal title passes to the customer upon shipment or delivery, Applied recognizes revenue upon passage of title for all products that have been demonstrated to meet product specifications prior to shipment; the portion of revenue associated with certain installation-related tasks is deferred, and that revenue is recognized upon completion of the installation-related tasks; (2) for products that have not been demonstrated to meet product specifications prior to shipment, revenue is recognized at customer technical acceptance; (3) for transactions where legal title does not pass at shipment or delivery, revenue is recognized when legal title passes to the customer, which is generally at customer technical acceptance; and (4) for arrangements containing multiple elements, the revenue relating to the undelivered elements is deferred using the relative selling price method utilizing estimated sales prices until delivery of the deferred elements. Applied limits the amount of revenue recognition for delivered elements to the amount that is not contingent on the future delivery of products or services, future performance obligations or subject to customer-specified return or adjustment. In cases where Applied has sold products that have been demonstrated to meet product specifications prior to shipment, Applied believes that at the time of delivery, it has an enforceable claim to amounts recognized as revenue. Spare parts revenue is generally recognized upon shipment, and services revenue is generally recognized over the period that the services are provided. When a sales arrangement contains multiple elements, such as hardware and services and/or software products, Applied allocates revenue to each element based on a selling price hierarchy. The selling price for a deliverable is based on its vendor specific objective evidence (VSOE) if available, third party evidence (TPE) if VSOE is not available, or estimated selling price (ESP) if neither VSOE nor TPE is available. Applied generally utilizes the ESP due to the nature of its products. In multiple element arrangements where more-than-incidental software deliverables are included, revenue is allocated to each separate unit of accounting for each of the non-software deliverables, and to the software deliverables as a group, using the relative selling prices of each of the deliverables in the arrangement based on the aforementioned selling price hierarchy. If the arrangement contains more than one software deliverable, the arrangement consideration allocated to the software deliverables as a group is then allocated to each software deliverable using the guidance for recognizing software revenue. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In January 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued authoritative guidance that requires equity investments that do not result in consolidation, and are not accounted for under the equity method, to be measured at fair value, and requires recognition of any changes in fair value in net income unless the investments qualify for a new practicability exception. For financial liabilities measured at fair value, the change in fair value caused by a change in instrument-specific credit risk will be required to be presented separately in other comprehensive income. The authoritative guidance will be effective for Applied in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Early adoption is permitted only for the provisions related to the recognition of changes in fair value of financial liabilities caused by instrument-specific credit risk. Applied is currently evaluating the effect of this new guidance on Applied's consolidated financial statements. In November 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance requiring all deferred tax assets and liabilities, and any related valuation allowance, to be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. Applied elected to prospectively adopt the authoritative guidance in the beginning of the first quarter of fiscal 2016. Prior periods were not retrospectively adjusted. In July 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that requires inventory to be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value instead of at lower of cost or market. This guidance does not apply to inventory that is measured using last-in, first out (LIFO) or the retail inventory method but applies to all other inventory including those measured using first-in, first-out (FIFO) or the average cost method. The authoritative guidance will be effective for Applied in the first quarter of fiscal 2018 and should be applied prospectively. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. Applied is currently evaluating the effect of this new guidance on Applied's consolidated financial statements. In May 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance to remove the requirement to categorize within the fair value hierarchy all investments for which fair value is measured using the net asset value per share practical expedient. The new guidance also removes the requirement of certain disclosures for all investments that are eligible to be measured at fair value using the net asset value per share practical expedient. The guidance becomes effective retrospectively for Applied in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance will only impact disclosures in Applied's financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance for customers about whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then the customer should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. This guidance will not change accounting for service contracts. The guidance becomes effective for Applied in the first quarter of fiscal 2017 and may be adopted either (1) prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date or (2) retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. Applied is currently evaluating the effect of this new guidance on Applied's financial position, results of operations and its ongoing financial reporting, including the selection of a transition method. In April 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The authoritative guidance is effective for Applied in the first quarter of fiscal 2017 and should be applied retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on Applied's consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that requires revenue recognition to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to a customer in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. This new standard will supersede most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. Entities will have the option of using either a full retrospective or modified retrospective approach to adopting the guidance. Under the modified approach, an entity would recognize the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance with an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. In addition, the modified approach will require additional disclosures. In August 2015, the FASB issued an amendment to defer the effective date by one year and allow entities to early adopt no earlier than the original effective date. With this amendment, the guidance will be effective for Applied in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Applied is currently evaluating the effect of this new guidance on Applied's financial position, results of operations and its ongoing financial reporting, including the selection of a transition method.

Basis of Presentation

In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim consolidated condensed financial statements of Applied Materials, Inc. and its subsidiaries (Applied or the Company) included herein have been prepared on a basis consistent with the October 25, 2015 audited consolidated financial statements and include all material adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to fairly present the information set forth therein. These unaudited interim consolidated condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Applied’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 25, 2015 (2015 Form 10-K). Applied’s results of operations for the three months ended January 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of future operating results. Applied’s fiscal year ends on the last Sunday in October of each year. Fiscal 2016 and 2015 contain 53 weeks and 52 weeks, respectively, and the first three months of fiscal 2016 and 2015 contained 14 weeks and 13 weeks, respectively.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. On an ongoing basis, Applied evaluates its estimates, including those related to accounts receivable and sales allowances, fair values of financial instruments, inventories, intangible assets and goodwill, useful lives of intangible assets and property and equipment, fair values of share-based awards, and income taxes, among others. Applied bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities.

Revenue Recognition

Applied recognizes revenue when all four revenue recognition criteria have been met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; seller’s price to buyer is fixed or determinable; and collectability is probable. Applied’s shipping terms are customarily FOB Applied shipping point or equivalent terms. Applied’s revenue recognition policy generally results in revenue recognition at the following points: (1) for all transactions where legal title passes to the customer upon shipment or delivery, Applied recognizes revenue upon passage of title for all products that have been demonstrated to meet product specifications prior to shipment; the portion of revenue associated with certain installation-related tasks is deferred, and that revenue is recognized upon completion of the installation-related tasks; (2) for products that have not been demonstrated to meet product specifications prior to shipment, revenue is recognized at customer technical acceptance; (3) for transactions where legal title does not pass at shipment or delivery, revenue is recognized when legal title passes to the customer, which is generally at customer technical acceptance; and (4) for arrangements containing multiple elements, the revenue relating to the undelivered elements is deferred using the relative selling price method utilizing estimated sales prices until delivery of the deferred elements. Applied limits the amount of revenue recognition for delivered elements to the amount that is not contingent on the future delivery of products or services, future performance obligations or subject to customer-specified return or adjustment. In cases where Applied has sold products that have been demonstrated to meet product specifications prior to shipment, Applied believes that at the time of delivery, it has an enforceable claim to amounts recognized as revenue. Spare parts revenue is generally recognized upon shipment, and services revenue is generally recognized over the period that the services are provided.

When a sales arrangement contains multiple elements, such as hardware and services and/or software products, Applied allocates revenue to each element based on a selling price hierarchy. The selling price for a deliverable is based on its vendor specific objective evidence (VSOE) if available, third party evidence (TPE) if VSOE is not available, or estimated selling price (ESP) if neither VSOE nor TPE is available. Applied generally utilizes the ESP due to the nature of its products. In multiple element arrangements where more-than-incidental software deliverables are included, revenue is allocated to each separate unit of accounting for each of the non-software deliverables, and to the software deliverables as a group, using the relative selling prices of each of the deliverables in the arrangement based on the aforementioned selling price hierarchy. If the arrangement contains more than one software deliverable, the arrangement consideration allocated to the software deliverables as a group is then allocated to each software deliverable using the guidance for recognizing software revenue.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In January 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued authoritative guidance that requires equity investments that do not result in consolidation, and are not accounted for under the equity method, to be measured at fair value, and requires recognition of any changes in fair value in net income unless the investments qualify for a new practicability exception. For financial liabilities measured at fair value, the change in fair value caused by a change in instrument-specific credit risk will be required to be presented separately in other comprehensive income. The authoritative guidance will be effective for Applied in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Early adoption is permitted only for the provisions related to the recognition of changes in fair value of financial liabilities caused by instrument-specific credit risk. Applied is currently evaluating the effect of this new guidance on Applied's consolidated financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance requiring all deferred tax assets and liabilities, and any related valuation allowance, to be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. Applied elected to prospectively adopt the authoritative guidance in the beginning of the first quarter of fiscal 2016. Prior periods were not retrospectively adjusted.

In July 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that requires inventory to be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value instead of at lower of cost or market. This guidance does not apply to inventory that is measured using last-in, first out (LIFO) or the retail inventory method but applies to all other inventory including those measured using first-in, first-out (FIFO) or the average cost method. The authoritative guidance will be effective for Applied in the first quarter of fiscal 2018 and should be applied prospectively. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. Applied is currently evaluating the effect of this new guidance on Applied's consolidated financial statements.

In May 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance to remove the requirement to categorize within the fair value hierarchy all investments for which fair value is measured using the net asset value per share practical expedient. The new guidance also removes the requirement of certain disclosures for all investments that are eligible to be measured at fair value using the net asset value per share practical expedient. The guidance becomes effective retrospectively for Applied in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance will only impact disclosures in Applied's financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance for customers about whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then the customer should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. This guidance will not change accounting for service contracts. The guidance becomes effective for Applied in the first quarter of fiscal 2017 and may be adopted either (1) prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date or (2) retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. Applied is currently evaluating the effect of this new guidance on Applied's financial position, results of operations and its ongoing financial reporting, including the selection of a transition method.

In April 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The authoritative guidance is effective for Applied in the first quarter of fiscal 2017 and should be applied retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on Applied's consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued authoritative guidance that requires revenue recognition to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to a customer in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. This new standard will supersede most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. Entities will have the option of using either a full retrospective or modified retrospective approach to adopting the guidance. Under the modified approach, an entity would recognize the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance with an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. In addition, the modified approach will require additional disclosures. In August 2015, the FASB issued an amendment to defer the effective date by one year and allow entities to early adopt no earlier than the original effective date. With this amendment, the guidance will be effective for Applied in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Applied is currently evaluating the effect of this new guidance on Applied's financial position, results of operations and its ongoing financial reporting, including the selection of a transition method.