After a protracted stoop, Apple’s enterprise is all of the sudden thriving once more in China. The tech big stated in its newest earnings report final week that income from the nation rose 38 p.c 12 months over 12 months within the final quarter, primarily pushed by surging demand for iPhones. The rebound got here after Apple’s China gross sales had declined for 18 consecutive months between 2024 and early 2025.
In a name with analysts, CEO Tim Prepare dinner stated Apple set a brand new report for iPhone upgrades amongst Chinese language prospects and noticed double-digit development within the variety of customers switching from different working techniques to iOS. “General, a fantastic quarter in China. We couldn’t be happier with it,” Prepare dinner concluded in his signature monotone voice.
Apple’s implausible efficiency got here as a shock to many observers of the Chinese language smartphone market. Lately, homegrown manufacturers like Huawei and Xiaomi have chipped away at Apple’s market share by releasing premium, feature-packed gadgets that immediately compete with the iPhone. Huawei, for example, surprised the tech business when it launched a $2,800 smartphone with a trifold display screen in September 2024, lengthy earlier than rivals put out related merchandise.
Essentially the most hanging factor about Apple’s comeback in China is the way it pulled it off. As an alternative of making an attempt to compete by creating flashier tech, it merely launched a brand new iPhone that’s each highly effective and competitively priced, specialists inform WIRED. Despite the fact that there are gadgets from native manufacturers that technically have higher cameras and extra subtle synthetic intelligence capabilities (Apple Intelligence will not be but obtainable in mainland China), many patrons nonetheless opted for Apple’s iPhone 17 line.
That implies Chinese language customers proceed to care extra about Apple’s model energy and design options than marginal technical enhancements. “It is a good story for those who’re Apple. It is the identical previous story for those who’re not Apple,” says Gerrit Schneemann, a senior analyst masking Apple at Counterpoint, a worldwide expertise analysis agency.
Apple owes a lot of its success in China final quarter to gross sales of the baseline iPhone 17 mannequin. Historically, customers who purchase iPhones at launch are likely to gravitate towards the higher-end Professional and Professional Max gadgets However in 2025, the baseline iPhone 17 represented a a lot larger step up from the iPhone 16 than common, together with options historically solely related to the Professional collection. That will have motivated extra individuals to improve earlier than common after the brand new telephones got here out, Schneemann says.
However Apple’s product technique wasn’t the one necessary issue right here. The iPhone 17 was priced low sufficient to qualify for an enormous electronics subsidy program launched by the Chinese language authorities final 12 months. To assist stimulate the financial system, Beijing spent some $43 billion subsidizing home purchases of electronics, home equipment, and vehicles in 2025. Smartphones offered for lower than 6,000 RMB (about $860) have been eligible for as much as a 15 p.c low cost. Apple listed the iPhone 17 in China for five,999 RMB, guaranteeing price-sensitive patrons would be capable to profit from the federal government coverage.
The state subsidy additionally arrived at a second when many Chinese language iPhone customers have been possible due for an improve anyway. “Apple’s final peak gross sales interval got here with the iPhone 13 collection, and after a span of three to 4 years, its present customers have regularly entered the improve cycle this 12 months,” says Arthur Guo, a Beijing-based analysis supervisor at IDC, a worldwide market evaluation agency.
None of those explanations point out that Apple’s Chinese language rivals are doing something improper. Guo notes that home manufacturers have additionally skilled vital development just lately. Costly flagship fashions from manufacturers like Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo have “remained robust throughout the board—with much more notable development recorded for the higher-priced Professional/Professional Max variants,” Guo says.