A day before the company is set to announce earnings for its first fiscal quarter of 2015, Financial Times highlights a recent report suggesting Apple may report it sold more iPhones in China than in the U.S. for the first time ever.

According to analysts from financial firm UBS, China accounted for 36 percent of iPhone shipments in the most recent quarter, compared to 24 percent for the U.S. The analysts also compared the numbers to 2013, noting that a year before China accounted for only 22 percent of shipments with the U.S. at 29 percent.

iphone6plus
Creative Strategies analyst Ben Bajarin concurs with the UBS report, believing around 2 million more iPhones were sold in China than in the U.S. during the quarter. With the upcoming launch of the Apple Watch, he also believes it's just the beginning of the country's fiscal dominance over Apple sales.

“It’s already been a good year, building up to the climax of this quarter,” said Bajarin, referring to Apple’s momentum in the world’s largest smartphone market. “It leads to a lot more optimism for China . . . Their potential headroom in China is higher than it is here [in the US].

They will likely do more in China than US from here on out,” he said. “It certainly shows how important the China market is to Apple’s upside.”

Apple has been emphasizing the importance of China for the company for some time, most recently meeting with the Chinese government to discuss data privacy and security, partnering with popular mobile payment service Alipay, and planning multiple Apple Store openings like the one in Chongqing opening this week.

On the distribution front, 2014 most notably saw a partnership between Apple and the world's largest carrier, China Mobile. The partnership allowed iPhones to be sold in 3,000 more cities where Apple previously had very little presence, undoubtedly aiding the Cupertino-based company rising Chinese in recent quarters.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

MH01 Avatar
141 months ago
Reading this headline has me thinking "Finally, something to put Americans in their place!", but is China really that much better? :p

----------

I always wonder... do Asians cherish their devices like many of us Westerners do? Do they appreciate the design, the finesse, the elegance of a well-designed device, or is it just a tool to communicate and consume data?

its a tool to communicate and consume data for most westerners. What your describing is faboys, most normal users do not cherish a device! If anything Asians, are more into tech than your average westerner.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
allpar Avatar
141 months ago
Regardless, none of those profits will benefit the U.S. Economy because the I.R.S. Is better at border patrol here than the I.N.S.

I.R.S.: "Don't let that money that was born in another country come to the U.S. to work for US. keep it in those other countries where it can't do us any good. That is, of course, unless you want to give us another 30% tax on your already taxed self."

The U.S. treats foreign revenue worse than the "Coyotes" treat foreign immigrants.

I just have to point out that the IRS only enforces rules made by Congress, and that Congress has cut their budget yet again.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xionxiox Avatar
141 months ago
Reading this headline has me thinking "Finally, something to put Americans in their place!", but is China really that much better? :p

----------

I always wonder... do Asians cherish their devices like many of us Westerners do? Do they appreciate the design, the finesse, the elegance of a well-designed device, or is it just a tool to communicate and consume data?
This is prob not the best place for social science class.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
141 months ago
Reading this headline has me thinking "Finally, something to put Americans in their place!", but is China really that much better? :p

----------

I always wonder... do Asians cherish their devices like many of us Westerners do? Do they appreciate the design, the finesse, the elegance of a well-designed device, or is it just a tool to communicate and consume data?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jakexb Avatar
141 months ago
If it was just a thing to consume data, they'd buy one of the cheaper Chinese android handsets.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ToroidalZeus Avatar
141 months ago
Regardless, none of those profits will benefit the U.S. Economy because the I.R.S. Is better at border patrol here than the I.N.S.

I.R.S.: "Don't let that money that was born in another country come to the U.S. to work for US. keep it in those other countries where it can't do us any good. That is, of course, unless you want to give us another 30% tax on your already taxed self."

The U.S. treats foreign revenue worse than the "Coyotes" treat foreign immigrants. No wonder the foreign immigrants still cross the border and none of the foreign BILLIONS makes it into this country. (And to think, ONE of the two got an Executive Order -- it wasn't the one that would HELP OUR ECONOMY though.)
It's complicated.

Apples effective tax rate because of all their tax dodging may be as low as 10%. In fairness a very successful corporation should have a tax rate above 40% (which is the highest income bracket) If Apple paid a "fairshare" of their taxes CA would have millions extra to invest into cash strapped systems like public education, The University of California.

On the flip-side it's been shown time and again that govt are incredibly wasteful. So I don't really blame corporations for not wanting to pay taxes.

In the end we the people suffer.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
Tim Cook WWDC 2018

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said. While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's 2026 Mac Plans

Friday November 14, 2025 3:23 pm PST by
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio. MacBook Air (Early 2026) The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark

Here's When Tesla is Expected to Add Support for Apple CarPlay

Sunday November 16, 2025 6:49 am PST by
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that Tesla plans to add Apple CarPlay support to its vehicles "in the coming months." This is easily the biggest news for the regular version of CarPlay in years, should Tesla actually follow through with offering the system in its vehicles. As noted by Gurman, this would be a stunning reversal for Tesla and its CEO Elon ...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...