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Record breaking quarter – Apple sales soar through pandemic

Look, we know Apple’s quarterly earnings report isn’t the most exciting news in the world – unless you’re a shareholder. But sometimes the numbers are so extreme it becomes big news for anyone.

Apple has just posted an absolutely massive three months of sales (January – March 2021), with revenue more than 50% up on the same period last year. In fact, it’s their third biggest quarter ever, trailing only the last two festive quarters – the period when Apple usually makes the most sales.

It’s not just record revenue, though – during this period Apple reported an incredible $24 billion in profit, most of which was returned right back to shareholders. This is partially thanks to profit margins sitting higher than they’ve been for a while, which bodes well for investors but not so well for everyday users who are footing the premium.

But the exciting news for Apple fans of all stripes is that pretty much every sector saw growth, putting Apple in a good position to build on those successes, reinvest, and improve its products even more going forward.

Mac and iPad in particular were the stars of the show, with massive sales likely boosted by the increase in people working from home during various quarantines and lockdowns. Plus, of course, the introduction of M1-powered Macs at the end of last year. But Tim Cook believes the sales are also indicative of “optimism” for our emergence into a “better world” ahead.

It’s likely the following quarter will take a little dip, however, despite Apple just announcing a new iMac and iPad Pro. That’s because a global semiconductor shortage could spell a reduction in available stock, and might even mean product delays later in the year.