Apple's Mac and iPad Sales Continue to Soar in Q1 2021
As people continue to work and learn from their homes, Apple's Mac and iPad sales during the holiday quarter have seen ongoing growth, with Apple reaching a new all-time quarterly revenue record for the Mac category thanks to 21 percent year-over-year growth.
During the first fiscal quarter of 2021 (fourth calendar quarter of 2020), Apple's Mac category brought in $8.7 billion, up from $7.2 billion in the year-ago quarter and up from the previous $7.4 billion quarterly record set in the first quarter of 2019. According to Apple CFO Luca Maestri, growth was driven by the new M1 Macs, which includes the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.
Apple's iPad category earned $8.4 billion, up from $6 billion in the year-ago quarter, marking growth of 41 percent. According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, iPad and Mac sales were constrained during the quarter, which may have held back sales.
Apple's iPad and Mac sales are expected to continue to see strong growth with multiple refreshes in the works. There are updated iPads that are rumored to be coming in the spring, and Apple has some major updates coming for the iMac and the MacBook Pro that could see sales accelerate.
New iMac models are expected to see a major redesign with slimmer bezels and a look that's similar to the Pro Display XDR, while future MacBook models will have slimmer bezels, more ports, MagSafe charging capabilities, and no Touch Bar. All new Mac models coming this year are expected to feature faster Apple silicon chips.
Apple's growing iPad and Mac sales along with strong iPhone sales resulted in a record breaking quarter, with Apple earning $28.8 billion profit on $111.4 billion revenue.
Popular Stories
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. At the time,...
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch.
Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More
Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
A newly surfaced resale operation is seemingly offering Apple Store–exclusive display accessories to the public for the first time, potentially giving consumers access to Apple-designed hardware that the company has historically kept confined to its retail environments.
Apple designs a range of premium MagSafe charging stands, display trays, and hardware systems exclusively for displays in ...
