Smartphone momentum for Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) was strong in the fourth quarter, thanks to the launch of the iPhone 17 in September. Calls from management for the first quarter to be even better could come true thanks to momentum in China.
Apple's iPhone 17 China Momentum
A recent report indicates Apple could return to its title as the top-selling smartphone maker in 2025, topping the global market share for the first time since 2011.
One of the keys to bringing the title back to the tech giant is strength in China, helped by the momentum of the iPhone 17.
New data from Counterpoint Research indicates Apple's iPhone saw strong demand during the annual Singles' Day shopping season in China, as reported by Reuters.
Singles' Day is celebrated on Nov. 11 in China, and many companies hold sales in the weeks leading up to the event.
During the month-long celebration, Apple represented 26% of all smartphones sold in China, according to the report.
Overall smartphone sales were up 3% during Singles' Day 2025. Without Apple, sales would have been down 5% year over year, according to Counterpoint’s "cautious consumer environment" report.
While all iPhone sales were strong in the country, Counterpoint Research said the iPhone 17 was strong.
Along with strong sales, another good news for Apple could be weak sales from its competitors in the region. Huawei and Xiaomi saw their sales decline year over year during the event, losing market share on Singles' Day.
Counterpoint's data recently predicted Apple will pass Samsung as the smartphone leader at the end of 2025 with 19.4% global market share.
Read Also: Apple Breaks A Record And It Has Nothing To Do With The iPhone 17
Strong First Quarter Expected
Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted the strength of the iPhone 17 during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings and conference call, while also providing a bullish note on the future.
"We are incredibly excited about the strength we're seeing across our products and services, and we expect the December quarter's revenue to be the best ever for the company and the best ever for iPhone," Cook said.
Apple Chief Financial Officer Kevin Parekh helped quantify what Cook meant when he said the first quarter could set records.
"From today we expect our December quarter total company revenue to grow by 10% to 12% year-over-year, which would be our best quarter ever," Parekh said.
Apple reported revenue of $124.30 billion in last year's first quarter, a new company record at the time. The estimated 10% to 12% growth would make this year's first quarter revenue total $136.73 billion to $139.22 billion.
Parekh said the first quarter would also be "our best iPhone quarter ever," with iPhone revenue expected to grow "double digits" year over year.
iPhone revenue was $69.14 billion in the first quarter of last year. Based on a 10% growth rate, the total would hit $76.06 billion or more in this year's first quarter.
For comparison, Apple just reported fourth-quarter iPhone revenue of $49.02 billion.
Current estimates on Benzinga Pro show analysts expecting Apple to report first quarter revenue of $132.31 billion.
Apple has beaten analyst revenue estimates for more than 10 straight quarters.
Analysts expect Apple to report first-quarter earnings per share of $2.52, up from $2.40 in last year's first quarter. The company has beaten analyst earnings-per-share estimates for more than 10 straight quarters.
Apple Stock Near Highs
Apple stock is down 0.5% to $276.22 on Friday, within its 52-week trading range of $169.21 to $280.38. Apple stock hit new all-time highs on Tuesday.
The company’s shares are up 13.3% year-to-date in 2025.
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