iPads and iPhones lift China revenue

Apple Inc yesterday said its revenue in China totaled US$2.6 billion in its fiscal first quarter ended December 25, a fourfold increase from a year ago, thanks to booming sales of iPhone, iPad and the newly-opened retail stores.

The Chinese market accounted for 10 percent of the United States-based giant's global revenue of US$26.7 billion in the quarter.

"Of the BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China - we identified China as our top priority years ago. And we put enormous energy into China," Apple's Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook said during a conference call.

"The results of that have been absolutely staggering."

Two years ago, Apple China's revenue was less than US$1 billion, Cook said.

Apple launched the iPhone 4 and iPad in the domestic market in September, which generated a staggering market response.

Also in the holiday season, Apple opened its online stores to sell iPad, iPhone 4 and Mac computers with free packaging and delivery.

In September, Apple opened two stores in Beijing and Shanghai to double its store number to four on the mainland. Apple plans to open 25 stores in China "as soon as possible," Ron Johnson, Apple's senior vice president of retail, said earlier.

The latest catalyst for Apple on the Chinese mainland is the possible cooperation with China Telecom to launch iPhone 4 with CDMA technology. Apple and Verizon Wireless last week announced they will launch the new CDMA iPhone 4 in the US on February 10.

China Telecom may provide CDMA iPhone 4 and related services on the mainland by the middle of this year, industry sources said.