Apple is back in growth mode in China and it’s a big deal.
For the December 2025 quarter, Apple reported total revenue of $143.8 billion, up 16% year over year. But the standout was Greater China, where sales jumped 38% to $25.5 billion, Apple’s first quarter above $25 billion there in four years and its second-best China quarter ever.
That’s a major reversal for a region that had been a persistent headache.
The iPhone supercycle, China edition
CEO Tim Cook said the iPhone 17 lineup drove “the best iPhone quarter in history in Greater China.” The September launch fueled a wave of store traffic, with record upgrades from older iPhones and double-digit growth from switchers coming over from rival brands.
According to Counterpoint Research, iPhones made up 22% of smartphone shipments in China in Q4 2025, the highest share of any brand, and up 28% from a year earlier. That’s a big flex in the world’s largest smartphone market.
From laggard to leader again
This rebound is especially notable given how rough things had been. Apple had been losing ground to domestic players like Huawei and Vivo, while also dealing with government limits on foreign device use among some state employees.
Now, upgrades and brand switchers are overpowering those headwinds. China is no longer a drag on Apple’s story at least this quarter, it’s one of the main engines driving it.