The iPhone 17 series released last year was a hit in the Chinese market, and this directly improved Apple's performance in China.According to Apple’s financial report, its revenue in China in the fourth quarter increased significantly by 38% year-on-year to US$26 billion, contributing nearly one-fifth of the company’s total global sales.
This reversal was mainly driven by the design innovation of the iPhone 17 series. In particular, one of the new colors (officially named "Cosmic Orange") widely called "Hermès Orange" on social media attracted significant consumer attention.
Because the color scheme is highly similar to the iconic hue of the luxury brand Hermès, it has formed a spontaneous communication effect on social platforms and has spawned thousands of display content since its release in the fall.
Analysts pointed out that this design strategy effectively strengthens the iPhone's attributes as a high-end social symbol in the Chinese market, making the new product easier to identify and popular.
Nabila Popal, senior research director at IDC, pointed out: "It may seem simple, but the significant changes in appearance design - including the introduction of the eye-catching orange model - directly drive the replacement decision of early users."
"Choose orange, which means everyone knows you are using the latest iPhone 17, which is a status statement."
These phenomena collectively show that this design update is not only a color iteration, but also a successful communication targeting the social psychology and symbolic consumption of the Chinese market.
