The big picture: During Apple's fourth quarter 2025 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said the iPhone 17 lineup has received a "tremendous response" from customers around the world. Cook added that he expects both overall revenue and iPhone sales to reach record levels in the current quarter, driven largely by the upcoming holiday shopping season.
Speaking to Wall Street investors, Cook described Apple's product portfolio as "truly remarkable," highlighting the iPhone 17 lineup as the "biggest leap ever for iPhone" in both hardware performance and software capabilities.
When asked why the iPhone 17 family is seeing significantly higher demand than its predecessors, Cook attributed its popularity to a refreshed design that offers a more striking appearance and improved ergonomics. The new models also feature faster processors, upgraded cameras, larger batteries, quicker charging, and a host of other refinements.
On global performance, Cook said China has once again proven to be a "vibrant and dynamic" market for Apple, with foot traffic in retail stores across the country rising sharply over the last holiday quarter. He added that the company achieved a September-quarter revenue record in several emerging markets and an all-time quarterly revenue record in India.
Cook added that Apple recently opened new stores in several countries, including the US, China, India, and the UAE, making it easier for customers in more markets to access its products and services.
Apple reported total revenues of $102.47 billion for the quarter ending September 2025, an eight percent increase over the $94.93 billion earned during the same period last year. iPhone revenues alone reached $49 billion, up six percent year-over-year.
For the full fiscal year 2025, Apple earned $416.16 billion in revenue, a 6.4 percent increase over the $391.04 billion recorded in FY2024. The lion's share of revenues – $307 billion – came from hardware sales, while services contributed $109.2 billion.
With strong iPhone demand expected to continue, Apple issued aggressive guidance for the current quarter. According to Cook, the company anticipates year-over-year growth of 10 to 12 percent during the December quarter, driven in part by the iPhone 17, which he described as "off the charts."