Apple Saw ‘Largest Number of Upgraders’ Following iPhone 12 Launch, Record Number of FaceTime Calls on Christmas

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 28 Jan 2021

During the Q1 2021 earnings call, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook revealed that the company saw a record number of FaceTime calls being made on Christmas this year. The CEO did not provide any number, but with Apple having a blowout quarter and millions of people forced to stay at home due to the pandemic, it is understandable as to why FaceTime saw a record number of calls.

FaceTime is not the only video/voice calling service that has grown tremendously this year. Zoom shot up to the top of the App Store rankings in the first half of 2020 as most countries went into a lockdown. The app has now become a staple for millions of people worldwide working from home for staying up to date with their friends and family and to attend meetings and briefings. Similarly, Google Meet and other video calling services have also seen an uptick in their usage this year.

The launch of the iPhone 12 series also saw “the largest number of upgraders” ever in a quarter for Apple. As per Tim Cook, this could be attributed to the pent-up demand as many consumers were waiting for the launch of an iPhone with 5G.

Additionally, Apple also saw a record number of device activations during the last week of 2020 as millions of people received new iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch, and other Apple products as Christmas gifts from their loved ones. Apple’s online store also saw new record revenues, once again thanks to the pandemic.

Apple announced its Q1 2021 earnings earlier today in which it managed to hit over $100 billion in revenue for the first time ever, with profits jumping to $28.4 billion.