Apple Inc’s revenue in China in the first fiscal quarter totaled US$8.4 billion which made it the company’s fastest growing regional market, the US technology giant said yesterday.

China has become a place for an “incredible start” for Apple in the coming quarters, Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said in an earnings call conference.

Earlier this month, Apple and China Mobile — the world’s No. 1 mobile carrier by subscribers — agreed to sell iPhones supporting the telco’s 4G network, and analysts predicted the agreement to boost sales of iPhones by 15-20 million in 2014.

“So we’ve got quite the ramp in front of us and we’re incredibly excited,” Cook said about the China market.

Apple’s revenue of US$8.4 billion in China jumped 29 percent year on year in the quarter ended on December 28. It surpassed the revenue growth of 11 percent in Japan and 5 percent for Europe.

In the quarter, the sales of iPads, including iPad Air and iPad Mini, jumped 64 percent year on year in China. The sales of Mac computers rose 28 percent, compared with a 21 percent rise for the tablet computer market and a gain of 7 percent for the personal computer industry.

More than 57 percent of all mobile web browsing in China was done on Apple’s iOS devices, which makes the country a “target market” for Apple, according to its Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)