According to the Q4 FY11
financial report, Greater China has become second-largest market behind U.S.,
revenue increases four times year-over-year, this is astonishing, according to
Apple's CEO, Tim Cook.
From financial report we can see last quarter Apple generated $4.5
billion revenue from "Greater China" which includes Mainland China,
Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The 4.5 billion accounted for 16% of total revenue of
last quarter, it's hard to imagine that in 2009 this market just took 2% of
revenue.
Tim Cook also mentioned that Chinese market is the fastest growing
region by far, now in Greater China there are six Apple Stores, 200 Apple
Authorized Resellers, and the number will continue to grow. It seems all start
from last year's iPhone 4 introduction, for the first three months of 2011,
iPhone sales just went up by 250 percent. Then iPad 2 came out, there was a
huge long line in front of Apple Store, and iPad 2 almost dominates the entire
China tablet market.
Apple brand is very popular in China, and it also become some kind
of status symbol among customers, for example iPhone 4s will not release until
the end of this year, the gray market already starts to sell, and the price can
reach to $2,000. It shows the China customers really want to be the first one
to own the latest Apple product to show some special status.
