Apple reached a new milestone on Thursday, reporting record iPhone sales for the final quarter of 2025. Driven by the iPhone 17 lineup, revenue surged 16% year-over-year to $144bn—the company’s strongest growth since 2021. This growth was fueled by a rebound in China and strong demand across Europe, Japan, and the Americas.
Despite the hardware triumph, the report revealed a mixed bag for the broader ecosystem. Mac sales slid 7%, while the Wearables and Accessories division dipped 3%.
CEO Tim Cook noted that the company is currently in “supply chase mode,” struggling to keep up with an iPhone 17 demand that “exceeded expectations.”
However, the hardware success hasn’t silenced questions regarding Apple’s AI strategy. While competitors like Microsoft spend aggressively—nearly $37bn last quarter alone—Apple remains conservative, earmarking $16bn for the entire coming year. Investors remain wary of Apple’s late entry into the AI race, even as it taps Google Gemini to bolster Siri.
As analyst Anna MacDonald noted, Apple’s caution likely stems from a desire to avoid the “un-Apple-like” glitches currently plaguing the industry.
Credit and Source: BBC
