Apple Says Record 2020 Mac Sales Attributed Primarily to MacBook Pro

Apple on Thursday reported its earnings for the fourth quarter of the 2020 fiscal year, including Mac revenue of $9 billion, a new quarterly record. Apple ended the year with annual Mac revenue of $28.6 billion, an all-time high.

macbook pro 13 inch banner
In its annual Form 10-K report [PDF], filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission today, Apple said increased Mac sales in fiscal 2020 compared to fiscal 2019 were primarily due to higher sales of the MacBook Pro. Apple introduced a new 16-inch MacBook Pro in the first quarter of the fiscal year, followed by a refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro in the third quarter, both with faster Intel processors and a more reliable Magic Keyboard.

Apple's financial chief Luca Maestri said the company also saw "amazing customer response" to the new MacBook Air during the back to school season.

Apple has thrived during the pandemic in spite of economic uncertainty, with both Macs and iPads recording strong sales as many people continue to work, learn, and connect with family and friends from home. During its earnings call Thursday, Apple said that its products outside of the iPhone grew a combined 30 percent last quarter, despite supply constraints impacting the iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch throughout the quarter.

Apple's Form 10-K also revealed the following details:

  • As of September 26, 2020, Apple had approximately 147,000 full-time equivalent employees, an increase of 10,000 employees from one year prior.
  • Apple spent $18.75 billion on research and development in the 2020 fiscal year, up approximately 16 percent from $16.21 billion in the 2019 fiscal year. Apple said this increase was primarily due to "headcount-related expenses."
  • Apple spent $2.95 billion on warranty claims in the 2020 fiscal year, down approximately 23 percent from $3.85 billion in the 2019 fiscal year.
  • Amid mounting scrutiny over its App Store practices, Apple acknowledged that if the commission it collects on certain purchases were to decline, the company's financial results could be "materially adversely affected."

For more, see our coverage of Apple's earnings report.

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

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Will Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday February 5, 2025 7:15 am PST by
iOS 18.3 was released last month, so the first iOS 18.4 beta should be coming soon. iOS 18.4 is expected to be a more substantial update for the iPhone, with several new features and changes related to Apple Intelligence and beyond. Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, following beta testing. Below, we outline what to expect from the update so far. Apple...
General Apple Invites Feature

Apple Launches New 'Invites' App

Tuesday February 4, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple today announced the launch of a new app called "Invites," which is designed to allow users to plan events like birthday parties, graduations, vacations, baby showers, and more. "With Apple Invites, an event comes to life from the moment the invitation is created, and users can share lasting memories even after they get together," said Brent Chiu-Watson, Apple's senior director of...
App Store vs EU Feature 2

Apple Says It Doesn't Approve of EU Porn App

Monday February 3, 2025 1:15 pm PST by
Apple does not approve of the "Hot Tub" pornography app that was released for the iPhone in the EU using alternative app distribution, Apple said in a statement to MacRumors. Further, Apple is concerned about the potential user safety risks with a pornography app, and says that it undermines consumer trust in the Apple ecosystem. We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore...
maxresdefault

An Apple TV Refresh is Coming in 2025 - Here's What You Should Know

Wednesday February 5, 2025 10:17 am PST by
Apple hasn't refreshed the Apple TV since 2022, but rumors suggest that we're finally going to get an update in 2025. We don't have a full picture of what to expect yet, but we have some hints on what's coming. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Updated A-Series Chip The current Apple TV 4K uses the A15 Bionic chip that was in the iPhone 13 lineup, and it's time for...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive an All-New Perk

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:21 am PST by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. iCloud+ is the official name for Apple's paid iCloud storage plans, which range from 50GB for $0.99 per month to 12TB for $59.99 per month in the United States. iCloud+ plans already come with multiple perks for free, such as Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video, and now there is another one...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb

iPhone SE 4 Launching as Soon as Next Week

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone SE could debut as soon as next week with a launch to follow later in February, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple isn't expected to hold an event for the iPhone SE 4, and will instead unveil the device through a press release. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to have an iPhone 14-style design, with Apple eliminating the thick bezels and Touch ID Home button of...
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Thursday February 6, 2025 7:31 am PST by
Apple is internally testing iOS 18.3.1 for iPhones, according to our website's analytics logs, which have been a consistently reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released within the next few weeks. iOS 18.3.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news and...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Raises Monthly AppleCare+ Subscription Price for All iPhones

Tuesday February 4, 2025 9:35 am PST by
Apple this week increased the prices for its monthly AppleCare+ subscription prices for the iPhone, raising the cost by 50 cents for all models in the United States. Standard AppleCare+ for the iPhone 16 models is now priced at $10.49 per month, for example, up from the prior $9.99 per month price. The 50 cent price increase applies to all available AppleCare+ plans for Apple's current...

Top Rated Comments

480951 Avatar
56 months ago

the keyboard was fine. butterfly issues were overblown i think and unnecessarily scared potential customers away. interestingly the post above me proved my point. as Steve Jobs once said about the enterprise market: "the people that make those decisions sometimes are confused".
How was this issue overblown when Apple had a repair program set up to fix units with issues, repeatedly addressed it in year over year design adjustments, and then finally switched to a different one and stopped using it? You don’t need to defend Apple here, they have a team of lawyers for that. This problem was documented and addressed endlessly, it definitely wasn’t overblown.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
YoitsTmac Avatar
56 months ago
I mean yeah, they finally fixed the keyboard. I needed to upgrade and I held out for it. I also told all my clients to not buy anything in the lineup. I can’t imagine the frustration that would be felt if the damn keyboard just wouldn’t work as expected within 3, 5 or even 10 years
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sfwalter Avatar
56 months ago

the keyboard was fine. butterfly issues were overblown i think and unnecessarily scared potential customers away. interestingly the post above me proved my point. as Steve Jobs once said about the enterprise market: "the people that make those decisions sometimes are confused".

i have more of an issue with the touchbar IMO. if I tapped on the mission control button too hard where my finger slightly slid on the touch bar, touchbar cancels mission control. annoying.
I don't think it was overblown at all. 3 out of 4 my coworkers had issues with their keyboards. Plus the travel distance was too shallow to be comfortable. I know the second statement is subjective.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
baryon Avatar
56 months ago
Apple plays the long game:
[LIST=1]
* Make great computers
* Replace them with more expensive, crappy computers
* Return to making great computers again
* Call it "magic"
* ???
* Profit!
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
logain Avatar
56 months ago
now, can you imagine what an insane amount of money they will make if they also get rid of the touchbar?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sub150 Avatar
56 months ago
A keyboard that works is good for sales. Shocking.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)