In spite of not releasing the lower-priced base iPhone 18 model, Apple’s Q4 2026 has broken records and beat out what was seen as an unprecedented holiday quarter just a few years ago.
iPhone 18 Pro didn’t need the base model to help Apple break records
iPhone 18 Pro didn’t need the base model to help Apple break records
Pundits continue to be confused by Apple’s repeat record-breaking quarters in spite of not building its own AI frontier model. Instead, Apple has reached new revenue highs on iPhone demand, superior Mac hardware, and continued innovation across its product lines.
While Q4 2026 isn’t what you’d call a “blow away,” it is a year-over-year increase in revenue at $114.5 billion. That number would have been considered incredible for a holiday quarter just a few years ago — handily beating the Covid-fueled $111.4 billion earned in Q1 2021.