Tim Cook Says 'Strong Demand' For 2016 MacBook Pro Helped Set New Mac Sales Record Last Quarter

Apple reported its second quarter earnings results earlier this week, and during its subsequent conference call, CEO Tim Cook said Mac revenue hit a new March quarter record due to "strong demand" for the latest MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models, released in October 2016.

mbp trio 2016

We had great Mac results during the quarter. Revenue grew 14 percent to a new March quarter record, and we gained market share thanks to strong demand for our new MacBook Pros. Our Mac business has generated over $25 billion in revenue over the past four quarters.

Apple sold 4.2 million Macs in the quarter, up four percent from the 4 million it sold in the year-ago quarter, but it does not break out sales on a model-by-model basis. Mac-related revenue totaled $5.8 billion, up 14 percent from 5.1 million in the year-ago quarter, a new all-time record in the second quarter.

Apple's record March quarter was achieved despite a lack of hardware updates to the MacBook, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac mini in over one to three years depending on the model. The MacBook Pro was the only Mac that Apple updated in 2016, beyond making 8GB RAM standard on the 13-inch MacBook Air.

mac buyers guide may 2017


Even the 2016 MacBook Pro faced its fair share of criticism when it launched. Some professional users were disappointed about the removal of all but two or four Thunderbolt 3 ports, while others faced battery life concerns and graphics issues that were eventually addressed with software updates.

Fortunately, updates are on the horizon. Last month, Apple made the rare move of pre-announcing that it's working on new pro-focused iMac models that will launch later this year. It's also working on a new Mac Pro that will feature a "modular" design, after admitting the 2013 model has thermal constraints.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities said new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models with faster Kaby Lake processors would enter mass production in the June quarter. He also said new 12-inch MacBook models would enter production in the spring, and some high-end models could supposedly have 16GB of RAM.

Kuo also mentioned a "15-inch MacBook" that would include 32GB of RAM and enter mass production in the early fourth quarter, which starts in September. He said the model would be "the most significantly redesigned product this year," and he believes it will adopt desktop-class RAM to satisfy high-end users.

Hardware references to possible next-generation MacBook Pro models were discovered in macOS 10.12.4 in February. It's less certain if the MacBook Air will continue to receive updates, or be supplanted by the 12-inch MacBook entirely, while Apple said the Mac mini remains an "important product" in its lineup.

"We're investing aggressively in [the Mac's] future, and we are very excited about the innovation we can bring to the platform," said Cook.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

MacFather Avatar
107 months ago
Deleted.
Score: 106 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BaccaBossMC Avatar
107 months ago
That tends to happen when there are no major releases for 4 years and people want new technology.
Score: 89 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tigres Avatar
107 months ago
I did not participate in those numbers, but did pick up the 2015 maxed out version after announcement.
Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Porco Avatar
107 months ago
It's such a success they are doing a significant redesign for the next update? Hmm.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
107 months ago
Revenue is up because of insane pricing.:rolleyes:
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WannaGoMac Avatar
107 months ago
Because users had no real choice if they wanted OS X.

i had to buy a 2016 Macbook Pro despite it being overpriced and with the useless touch bar. BTW the touch bar is totally useless as I touch type and I NEVER look down at the keyboard as it slows me down. Still confused how Apple thought this was a useful feature and not a "gimmick", maybe in a year or two it will be helpful.

Anyway, it was either this expensive Macbook Pro or an old + out of date Macbook Air... so yeah, the 2016 macbook pro is selling great! :eek:
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)