Apple’s Surprise iPhone China Growth Leaves Lingering Questions

  • Independent data show unit sales of iPhone were down in China
  • Tim Cook has a ‘very positive’ long-term view on China market

IPhone 15 smartphones at an Apple store in Beijing.

Photographer: Andrea Verdelli/Bloomberg
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Apple Inc. surprised investors with a decent beat on quarterly revenue from China, countering months of data that showed a quickening decline in iPhone sales.

Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said iPhone revenue in mainland China grew “on a reported basis,” before adjustments related to Covid supply chain disruptions in 2022. He reiterated Apple’s long-term optimism about a market that’s shrinking but still accounted for 18% of the company’s net sales.