Apple posts second record quarter in a row as China sales drive revenue to US$58 billion

Apple sold more than 61 million iPhones in the first quarter of 2015, as strong sales in China propelled the US tech giant to revenues of US$58 billion.

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Strong sales of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, especially in China, have given Apple a record-breaking quarter. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:30am, 28 Apr 2015Updated: 9:27am, 29 Apr 2015

Apple sold more than 61 million iPhones in the first quarter of 2015, as strong sales in China propelled the US tech giant to revenues of US$58 billion.

China overtook the US as the largest market for iPhones in the world, with a 72 per cent increase in the number of smartphones sold, driven in large part by strong sales of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus over the lunar new year holiday period. In the same period last year, Apple sold 43.7 million iPhones.

Watch: How China overtook the U.S. in iPhone sales for the first time

Revenue from greater China rose 71 per cent to US$16.82 billion, showing that the market is on track to overtake the US, as Apple CEO Tim Cook predicted last year. Revenue from the Americas was up 19 per cent to US$21.3 billion. This was the first quarter that the Greater China market – which includes the mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan – overtook Europe to become the company's second-biggest region.

“We are thrilled by the continued strength of iPhone, Mac and the App Store, which drove our best March quarter results ever,” said Cook.

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