Analysts said iPhone sales in China hit a record high in the fourth quarter last year thanks to the orange (橙) color iPhone, whose pronunciation is similar to "success" (成功).
On the 7th, Financial Times reported that the newly launched "Cosmic Orange" color in the iPhone 17 series reversed Apple's prolonged sales slump in China. Revenue in China in the recent fourth quarter rose 38% from a year earlier to $26 billion. It was a record quarterly revenue and accounted for about one-fifth of total revenue.
Experts said the design changes in the iPhone 17 series tapped into Chinese consumers' desire to show off.
Apple officially calls the iPhone 17's orange "Cosmic Orange," but the color is similar to the signature color of French luxury brand Hermès and has also been called "Hermès orange." Because Cosmic Orange is exclusive to the Pro and Pro Max, the premium models of the iPhone 17, analysts said it fueled Chinese consumers' desire to flaunt.
Nabila Popal, a research director at IDC, said, "Striking design changes, especially the bold orange, drew in buyers."
On top of that, in Chinese, the word for orange sounds similar to the word meaning "success." In Chinese characters, the "cheung" sound is shared by "橙," which means orange, and "成," which means success. Online posts included messages such as, "May every wish be dyed orange, may orange come at once."