That strong performance in Greater China represented a record high for the June quarter in the market, according to Apple. The iPhone maker’s sales in the region fell 3 per cent in the previous quarter.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook poses for a selfie at the company’s store in Sanlitun, Beijing, on March 24, 2023. Photo: Weibo
Apple’s latest quarterly results showed that China, which has the world’s biggest number of internet users and largest smartphone market, is still one of the company’s strongest-performing regions, despite its slowing economic growth.

While Apple’s overall revenue in the June quarter slid 1 per cent from a year ago amid an uneven macroeconomic environment, the company indicated that there was a high number of smartphone users in China who ditched their Android handsets for iPhones.

“Switchers were a very key part of our iPhone results for the quarter,” Cook said in the call. “We set a record in Greater China, in particular, and it was at the heart of our results there.”

Shoppers check out iPhone 14 models at an Apple Store inside a shopping centre in Beijing on November 7, 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE
One of the mainland Chinese consumers who contributed to Apple’s strong iPhone sales in the June quarter is Yuri Gu, a finance professional who lives in southern Guangdong province. Gu in April upgraded to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the priciest model in Apple’s latest iteration of its flagship product, months after buying the entry-level iPhone 14.

“I wanted a bigger screen to help me deal with work better,” said Gu, who made the upgrade after receiving a 2,300 yuan (US$321) discount for the iPhone 14 Pro Max from her telecommunications network provider.

Although she still has Android smartphones to serve as a backup device, Gu said she will consider upgrading to the new iPhone series later this year. “I’ll definitely be tempted if their camera gets an upgrade,” she said.

China’s smartphone market narrows quarterly decline, with Huawei back in top 5

Shenzhen resident Chen Channing, meanwhile, upgraded from the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 14 Pro model in May when he noticed his handset slowed down owing to limited storage capacity.

“I was preparing for an important business trip, so I decided to get a new iPhone 14 with bigger storage and better camera to take better pictures,” Chen said.

Still, he is not keen on making another upgrade any time soon. “I’ll stick with my current iPhone 14 Pro as long as there’s enough space,” he said.