iPhone in orange helps Apple with its China comeback
Chinese buyers like Apple's new color scheme for the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. However, its virality was likely coincidental.
Advertisement for the iPhone 17 Pro in Shanghai.
(Image: Savvapanf Photo / Shutterstock.com)
The once difficult Chinese market no longer seems to be one for Apple – at least in the Christmas quarter of 2025, Apple was able to grow significantly there again thanks to the iPhone 17. But why exactly, when the rest of the smartphone market is weakening?
Cooperation with Hermès: But only for the Apple Watch
According to a report by the Financial Times, it has surprisingly much to do with a design decision – the fact that Apple is offering a model in a bright orange shade for the first time. This was dubbed “Hermès Orange” on Chinese social networks and went viral there – confusingly, without any cooperation with the Parisian luxury brand, which Apple has so far only maintained – albeit for years – for the Apple Watch.
Apple's revenue increased by 38 percent year on year from October to December, with China accounting for “almost a fifth,” according to Apple CEO Tim Cook. The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are said to have boosted Apple's “position as a status symbol” again, as was the case in the past. Apple itself calls the orange shade “Cosmic Orange,” and it is also expected to sell better in Western countries than the other variants.
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Orange stands for success – literally
“It sounds simple, but it's the outwardly obvious design changes, including the introduction of a striking orange color, that have attracted early upgraders,” a senior research director at market research firm IDC told the Financial Times. Chinese influencers immediately showcased the new color in their videos. Another advantage for Apple: If you pronounce “Orange” with a Chinese accent, it sounds (almost) like the Mandarin word for “success.” Anyone who chooses the color shows how cool they are, according to another influencer who primarily scores with luxury content.
The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max also bring hardware improvements that made the devices more attractive. These include faster chips, improved cameras, and a new selfie mode that allows wide selfies to be taken in portrait format, as Apple has changed the sensor orientation. So far, there have apparently been no problems with the abrasion and durability of the bright orange color in China.
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