tim cook apple
Tim Cook in Cupertino in September 2019.
Christoph Dernbach/picture alliance via Getty Images
  • Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company saw the “highest volume of FaceTime calls” during Christmas 2020.
  • Many families were kept apart as governments warned against holiday travel to contain the coronavirus.
  • Cook noted the increase in FaceTime usage during the company’s Q1 earnings call. 
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Apple saw its “highest volume of FaceTime calls” during Christmas last year as the pandemic kept families apart over the holidays, CEO Tim Cook said Wednesday.

Cook made the comment on an earnings call on Wednesday after the technology company posted quarterly earnings that obliterated Wall Street’s expectations. 

Apple’s video chatting service is available across its products and was released in 2010. FaceTime and other virtual software tools have enjoyed a surge in use since last March when the pandemic set in and drove people into isolation. As the 2020 holiday season rolled around, health officials advised against traveling to visit families to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Read more: Apple is betting big on fitness with its new subscription service, but experts say Peloton doesn’t need to worry

Apple’s earnings for its fiscal first quarter, which spans from October to December for the company, exceeded estimates across the board. It broke a new record with $111.4 billion in revenue after a busy holiday season, while analysts estimated Apple to post $103.3 billion.

The company busted records in its product categories as well, including its iPhone revenue. Apple posted $65.6 billion in iPhone sales compared to the $60.33 billion that analysts were expecting.

Apple released its iPhone 12 lineup during its fiscal first quarter, phones that come equipped with 5G technology and were expected to help drive the company's sales. The new smartphones were originally slated to debut earlier but were delayed due to the pandemic.

Wall Street expects the company to deliver about 220 million iPhone units in 2021.

The company also entered the at-home fitness arena right before Q1 with its Fitness Plus subscription service, a move that put Apple in the race with the likes of Peloton.

It also released a cheaper $99 HomePod mini speaker in October.

Apple is reportedly testing folding iPhone screens and an expensive virtual and augmented reality headset that is slated to be released in 2022.

Read the original article on Business Insider