The iPhone 17 brings Apple a record quarter

Samuel Buchmann

30/1/2026

Translation: machine translated

Pictures: Samuel Buchmann

Apple posted a record quarter at the end of 2025, mainly thanks to high demand for the iPhone. The Group also acquires an AI start-up.

Apple achieved record sales of 143.8 billion US dollars in the last quarter. This was primarily due to the strong iPhone business. It alone contributed more than 85.3 billion dollars, an increase of 23 per cent. CEO Tim Cook spoke of unprecedented demand «» , which brought the Group double-digit growth rates.

Group sales rose by 16 per cent compared to the same period last year. Earnings per share increased by 19 per cent. The iPhone 17 is at the centre of the boom. The regular model offers a round overall package with many functions from the earlier Pro models. The iPhone 17 Pro is also apparently very popular. According to reports, demand was so high that the availability of individual variants was limited at times. Cook referred to limited capacities in the production of the A19 Pro chip.

Growth in China was particularly strong. Sales there increased by 38 per cent. Observers see this as a sign that Apple is once again holding its own against local suppliers. The number of active Apple devices reached new highs both in China and worldwide. It now totals 2.5 billion iPhones, Macs and other products.

In addition to the hardware business, services also set new records. The division, which includes iCloud, Apple Music and Apple TV, grew by 14 per cent year-on-year. In contrast, Macs and wearables such as the Apple Watch and AirPods lower revenues. This seems logical, as there were few new models and only unspectacular updates.

Apple buys AI company

Parallel to the quarterly figures, Apple announced the acquisition of Q.ai. Cupertino is paying around two billion US dollars, according to the «Financial Times». According to patents, the four-year-old start-up from Israel develops optical sensors that are integrated into headphones or glasses and detect the smallest movements of the facial skin. They are designed to recognise non-verbal commands or «silent speech».

Apple's head of hardware Johny Srouji described Q.ai as a «remarkable company that is opening up new and creative ways of using imaging and machine learning». The start-up was financed by Google Ventures, among others. The aim is to miniaturise computer interaction to such an extent that it largely disappears from everyday life. The technology could be linked to an upgraded Siri - for example in future models of the AirPods, the Vision Pro or the iPhone.

Apple has so far invested more selectively in artificial intelligence than other major tech companies. While Google, Meta and Microsoft spend over a hundred billion US dollars a year, Apple is more cautious - with the result that in-house developments fall short of expectations. Instead, Cupertino is now licensing Google Gemini for the new Siri.

It remains to be seen whether this strategy will work in the long term. So far, the figures have proved Apple right: analysts see the record quarter as a sign that customers are paying less attention to spectacular AI announcements. Good devices, the stability of the ecosystem and tangible improvements in everyday life seem to be more important.

Samuel Buchmann

Senior Editor

Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.ch

My fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.

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