This past holiday season, a lot of people were buying up AirPods, Apple Watches, and HomePod mini devices, Apple just revealed. And all we can say is: Duh!
During Wednesday’s earnings call for the first fiscal quarter of 2021, Apple revealed it saw an increase in sales for its wearables, home, and accessories category (by 30 percent, to be exact) since the same time last year.
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook specifically attributed this growth to its entire AirPods lineup, including the AirPods Max, along with the HomePod mini and Apple Watch. You know, all the accessories to stock up on during a pandemic, where you’ve likely been sheltering in place.
The company additionally pointed out that 75 percent of its customers were new to the Apple Watch during the first quarter.
It really comes as no surprise at all that the Apple Watch contributed to the boost in sales. Sure, the Apple Watch Series 6 was a mediocre upgrade from 2019’s model — the SpO2 sensor is a nice touch, but it doesn’t offer any valuable insight to your blood oxygen levels. But since Apple discontinued the Series 4 and the Series 5, it’s the only updated option if you don’t want to settle for the older Series 3 model.
Since a lot of people are glued to their desks most of the day and gyms still aren’t the safest of places to be, the Series 6 is likely helping many people make sure they continuously move throughout the day. Users can’t access Apple’s new Fitness+ subscription service unless they have one of the company’s latest smartwatches strapped to their wrists.
Speaking of being stuck at a desk all day, those of us who are lucky enough to work from home might also be upgrading our other electronics, too. So, it’s not shocking that audio and smart home accessories drove sales up, either.
While expensive, at $500, the AirPods Max are Apple’s first over-the-ear headphones and, as with its AirPods Pro, come equipped with noise cancellation — an essential feature if you’re trying to drown out noise from family members or roommates throughout the day. The HomePod mini, on the other hand, is the company’s first really affordable smart speaker (at $99) that makes a nice addition to any room in the house.
Making these purchases during a time when most of us are trying to keep from going stir crazy seems inevitable for those who can afford it.
Tim Cook, tell us something we don’t already know — like which new products are lined up for this year.