iPad Sales Boom
Surprisingly, the category that saw the most growth this time around was the iPad, and while the new 11-inch iPad Air was quite likely the biggest contributor to this, Cook noted that Apple is also seeing a lot more people picking up the iPad as a complementary device to a Mac, as opposed to a replacement, and of course as more people have been working and learning from home during the pandemic, the iPad has become even more indispensable.
Further, while the new iPad Air was announced in September, it didn’t actually go on sale until October, meaning that, much like the iPhone 12, all the new iPad Air sales were concentrated in Q1 2021.
Cook also added that Apple is still seeing about half of iPad sales coming from those who are entirely new to the tablet, rather than simply those replacing older models, which has also been holding true for Mac sales, showing even more growth potential in these categories.