iPhone 17 Pro in 'Hermès Orange' Drives Sales Rebound in China [Report]

A vivid new color option appears to be playing a notable role in Apple's recent rebound in China. The "Cosmic Orange" iPhone 17—widely dubbed "Hermès orange" by local consumers—has gone viral on social media, helping fuel a sharp revenue increase in a market where Apple had struggled in recent years.



CEO Tim Cook highlighted the turnaround during the company's earnings call, noting that revenue in Greater China grew 38 percent year-over-year to reach $26 billion in the fourth quarter. That figure represents nearly a fifth of Apple's total sales for the period. While Cook pointed to record numbers of upgraders and switchers, analysts said a design refresh for the iPhone 17 lineup helped reinforce Apple's position as a premium status symbol by making the latest devices more immediately recognizable as new and high-end.


The new orange finish has become a standout on Chinese social media, with thousands of users posting videos showcasing the device. Many buyers have pointed to the color's resemblance to Hermès' signature orange, treating it as a clear visual cue that the device is part of Apple's newest lineup. The shade has also taken on added meaning online, where users have played on the fact that the Mandarin word for "orange" sounds similar to "success," tying the purchase to good fortune.

The rebound follows a roughly three-year downturn in China, during which Apple steadily lost share to domestic rivals including Huawei, Vivo, and Xiaomi. That period was marked by restrictions on iPhone use in parts of the public sector, as well as renewed competition from Huawei's high-end phones powered by locally developed processors. More recent data cited by IDC suggests Huawei's sales slipped roughly 10 percent in the last quarter amid user complaints about its Harmony operating system, creating an opening for Apple to regain market share.

The surge was not driven by color alone. The base model iPhone 17 also benefited from local economic stimulus measures. Consumers were eligible for government subsidies of up to RMB 500 (about $72) on smartphones priced below RMB 6,000. This pricing support, combined with hardware upgrades including the new A19 chip, improved cameras, and a refreshed display, helped spark what IDC describes as an upgrade "supercycle" roughly four years after Apple's previous growth peak in the region.

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[via Financial Times]