Apple sets new record; reaches 2 billion active devices

Apple has reached a new milestone in the number of people actively using iPhones, iPads, Macs and its other hardware products: 2 billion. The number highlights the rapid growth of the company, which reached 1.5 billion active devices in early 2020 and only surpassed 1 billion in 2016.

Apple was walking fast toward the 2 billion milestone after reaching 1.8 billion active devices just a year ago on the back of record 2021 device sales that dodged supply chain challenges stemming from the pandemic.

The news comes as Apple releases its first-quarter earnings that highlight its performance during the holiday months. "During the December quarter, we achieved a major milestone and are excited to report that we now have more than 2 billion active devices as part of our growing installed base," Apple CEO Tim Cook said.

The sizable install base of iOS, macOS, and other Apple devices compares to 3 billion active Android devices, as reported by Google in 2021. Google counts active Android devices as those with Google Play store access, so the actual number could be higher if you count phones from China that don't include it.