Apple In China: Best Yet To Come?Apple In China: Best Yet To Come?

After Apple's latest quarterly announcement Tuesday, which showed reasonable but slow-growing results, the second-day spin on Apple's financial results is all about Apple's surprisingly strong showing in China.

As the Financial Times (subscription required) put it, "Apple has become a China story."

Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, during the earnings call described the company's latest quarter "a stellar quarter in Greater China overall."

In the latest quarter, ended June 28, 2014, Apple's net sales in Greater China, which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, expanded to $5.94 billion, up by 28% compared to the same period a year ago. In its 10-K filing, Apple characterized its year-over-year increase in Greater China as "significantly higher than those experienced by the Company overall."

Apple pointed out that growth in net sales and unit sales of the iPhone was "especially strong" in the greater China region, thanks to the successful launch of new iPhones in Greater China at the end of 2013, increased demand for Apple's entry-priced iPhones, and the addition of China Mobile in the second quarter of 2014.

Chinese iPhone sales were up 48%, Mac sales were up 39%, and iPad sales were up a whopping 51%. The iPad growth in China is noteworthy, especially when compared to the industry's overall tablet market in China, which is said to be growing at 21%, according to IDC.

According to Cook, Apple grew its overall revenues in China, including its retail stories, at 31%.

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