Apple Notches 38% Best Quarterly Revenue Growth in China

China has emerged as the brightest spot in Apple’s latest earnings, with the US tech giant posting record iPhone revenue in the world’s largest smartphone market, Ann Cao and Iris Deng reported for the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The gain, more than double Apple’s overall 16% quarterly revenue growth, marked its strongest performance in China since late 2021. (Photo: Dicklyon Wikimedia Commons) 

Revenue in Apple’s Greater China region—covering mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan—surged 38% year-on-year in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, which ended Dec. 27, the Cupertino-based company said.

The gain, more than double Apple’s overall 16% quarterly revenue growth, marked its strongest performance in China since late 2021.

“It was the best iPhone quarter in history in Greater China,” CEO Tim Cook said during an earnings call, attributing the results to “customer enthusiasm for the iPhone 17 lineup.”

During the quarter, traffic at Apple stores in China rose by strong double digits from a year earlier, while the company’s installed base reached an all-time high in both Greater China and mainland China. Cook described the quarter as “terrific.”