Apple recently reported the best iPhone sales in the company’s history in the final quarter of last year. While the long-term trend has of course been upward, the company revealed a dramatic boost to the numbers.
We’ve already seen analysts describe some of the reasons for this, but a new report suggests two additional factors – and both of them are the color orange …
Record iPhone sales, with China key
Apple’s latest earnings report revealed that the company had its best fiscal quarter ever, with record iPhone sales a major element of this. China was a major contributor to this success, completely reversing a flat or downward trend over the previous six quarters.
Today, Apple is proud to report a remarkable, record-breaking quarter, with revenue of $143.8 billion, up 16 percent from a year ago and well above our expectations. (…) iPhone had its best-ever quarter driven by unprecedented demand […]
Greater China was up 38% year-on-year. It was driven by iPhone where we set an all-time revenue record, so it was the best iPhone quarter in history in Greater China.
Analysts have already described three reasons for this, but a new report highlights a key element at work.
Two of the reasons were Cosmic Orange
A Financial Times report highlights the key role played by the Cosmic Orange color of the two iPhone 17 Pro models.
It’s long been known that the Chinese market is particularly status conscious within the demographics that buy iPhones, so anything which makes it immediately obvious that someone owns the latest model is an effective sales tool. The bright orange colour certainly does that, also drawing attention to the fact that it is a Pro model.
Analysts said a design refresh for the iPhone 17 range has reinforced Apple’s status-symbol position in China by making the latest handsets more immediately recognisable as new and high-end.
But the specific shade of orange has also been cited as an important factor, closely resembling a hue associated with luxury French brand Hermès.
“I was instantly drawn to the colour — it felt very special, who doesn’t like Hermès orange?” said a model and influencer who goes by the stage name Xiao Mei, in a video posing with her new accessory. “The more I look at it, the more I love it.”
The report says that the influencer cited is far from alone, with the resemblance leading many to refer to the color as “Hermès orange” rather than Apple’s official name Cosmic Orange.
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