Apple reports record iPhone sales in best-ever quarter

Apple reported its best-ever quarter for iPhone sales during the December quarter, generating $85 billion in revenue from the device. This represents a substantial increase from the $69 billion in iPhone sales recorded during the same period last year. Speaking on Thursday during the company’s earnings call, CEO Tim Cook stated that the “iPhone had its best-ever quarter driven by unprecedented demand, with all-time records across every geographic segment.” Cook added that the overall performance was “driven by iPhone, where we set an all-time revenue record,” and confirmed that Apple “did set a quarterly revenue record during the December quarter.”

This sales growth was partially driven by a surge in key geographic markets, particularly China and India. In Greater China—which serves as Apple’s specific financial reporting segment for the region—overall sales jumped to $25.5 billion in the current quarter, compared to $18.5 billion in the year-ago quarter. Cook characterized the period as the “best iPhone quarter in history in Greater China.” He also noted that retail interest was high, stating, “I would tell you that during the quarter, traffic in our stores in China grew by strong double digits year over year.”

In India, Apple also set a quarterly revenue record during the December quarter. Cook described the period as “a terrific quarter” in India, pointing out that the country is “the second largest smartphone market in the world and the fourth largest PC market.”

The sales momentum was supported by the iPhone 17, which was announced in September. According to Cook, the iPhone 17 is significantly more popular than the previous iPhone model. This product demand helped drive revenue increases across other major geographic markets, including the Americas and Europe, where overall sales also grew year over year.

The financial results across these regions demonstrate the broad geographic reach of Apple’s hardware sales during the period:

• Greater China: $25.5 billion, up from $18.5 billion in the year-ago quarter
• Americas: $58.5 billion, up from $52.6 billion a year ago
• Europe: $38.1 billion, up from $33.8 billion a year ago

Why it matters

Apple’s ability to sustain record-breaking growth across diverse geographic markets, particularly with the iPhone 17, signals continued resilience in its core hardware business despite global economic shifts.