Recently, some analysts reported that although this year's iPhone 18 Pro series carries a starting price 1,000 yuan higher than last year's iPhone 17 Pro lineup, sales have still climbed 3.1%. That is an extraordinarily difficult feat given the current chilly market conditions.

Interestingly, however, these analysts believe that Apple's ability to achieve such a significant sales increase should really be credited to China. It is Chinese consumers who underpinned this wave of Apple's growth. Without Chinese buyers enthusiastically purchasing Apple products, Apple's sales would have plummeted.

Tracking data reveals that Apple's performance varies considerably across countries.

The US market, for instance, fell 4%, while Japan dropped 27%. The market situation clearly looks grim.

But the climax comes in the Chinese market. In China, sales of Apple's iPhone 18 Pro series surged 29%, which in turn lifted Apple's total global sales by 3.1%, while other countries and regions rose only slightly, by 3%.

No wonder some say that Apple's new CEO really ought to thank Chinese consumers this time around. It is their support that made his first major battle a success. The market was clearly struggling, yet sales actually rose.

Why do Chinese consumers like buying the iPhone 18 Pro series so much?

Many people will surely say it is for face or something of that sort, but in reality, buying a phone nowadays has nothing to do with face. The reasons people buy Apple products are driven by multiple factors.

First, this year's domestic phones have seen even steeper price hikes. Apple raised its starting price by 1,000 yuan, while other domestic flagship phones mostly raised prices by more than 1,000 yuan as well. Proportionally speaking, their increases are larger, and their prices are getting closer and closer to Apple's.

Second, institutional data shows that domestic consumers' phone replacement cycle has now reached 42 months—that is, 3.5 years—and Apple phones are widely recognized as having the longest service life. Using one for three to five years is no problem at all.

As for domestic phones, although they also claim long service life, they are really not as robust as Apple. Many people figure that if their phone is going to be used for three to five years, they might as well buy an Apple phone—it is reassuring and gives peace of mind, and there will definitely be no problems.

Finally, Apple's strategy this year also gave the Pro series a slight boost. Apple did not release a standard version this year, only the Pro version, which made many people who wanted to buy a phone grit their teeth and go for the Pro, thereby also boosting Pro series sales.

In addition, it is worth noting that the Pro was not the only model to rise. The iPhone Duo, which only went on sale this year, also exploded immediately upon launch, selling more than 120,000 units in the first three days. That is a peak that no previous domestic foldable-screen phone has ever reached.

It is clear that in the eyes of Chinese consumers, Apple is still the same Apple. Even without innovation, it still has a large number of fans, and everyone uses real money to support Apple.