Apple: Crisis? What crisis?

Apple Store, Bangkok. © iStock.

Apple announced its results for the last quarter of 2020, and they give a good idea of the public’s appreciation of the new iPhone 12: it’s excellent. Overall, Apple crossed the threshold for $100 billion in revenue in a single quarter for the first time, with 111.4 billion in sales. Despite the pandemic, which delayed the launch of new iPhones and precipitated the closing of many stores, phone sales have been extraordinarily successful, and revenue was over $65 billion (the previous record, set in the last quarter of 2017, was $61.58 billion), surpassing analysts’ expected $59.8 billion. Helped along by the extended work-from-home orders, Mac and iPad sales also did well in 2020: the iPad’s sales were up 41 percent, and the Mac’s, 21%. Not surprisingly, AirPods and Apple Watch continued their winning streak, with the wearables division growing 29 percent year over year. Also during the call, Tim Cook announced changes in the company’s organizational chart. Dan Riccio, who had headed the hardware engineering division since 2012, will now concentrate on a new, unspecified project, replaced by John Ternus.

⇨ Ars Technica, Samuel Axon, “Apple reports double-digit sales booms for every product category in Q1 2021.”

2021-01-27