‘Hermès orange’ iPhone goes viral in China, sparking an Apple comeback
‘Hermès orange’ iPhone goes viral in China, sparking an Apple comeback
https://www.cryptopolitan.com/iphone-goes-viral-in-china-apple-comeback/
Publish Date: 2026-02-07 07:43:00
Source Domain: www.cryptopolitan.com
Apple’s latest iPhone lineup, which features a brightly orange colored premium model, has taken the Chinese market by storm and helped reverse the tech company’s prolonged sales downturn.
China is bulk-buying the iPhone 17 vivid orange variant, a design overhaul said to have made the devices more visually distinctive compared to the launch version released last autumn. Consumers have nicknamed the handset “Hermès orange,” a reference to the signature tone of Hermès handbags.
“It’s eye-catching,” said David Qiu, who replaced an older iPhone with the new orange version. “It’s the newest colour.”
Even though Apple markets the shade internally as “cosmic orange,” the luxury bag color comparison has stuck with buyers and influencers. The model is being flashed around Chinese social media platforms through unboxing videos and lifestyle clips. Thousands of users have shared posts featuring the device since its release.
“It sounds simple, but it’s the external obvious changes to design, which include the introduction of a shout-out orange colour, that pulled out early upgraders,” said Nabila Popal, senior research director at IDC.
A model using the stage name Xiao Mei posted a video featuring the device as a fashion accessory. “I was instantly drawn to the colour because it felt very special. Who doesn’t like Hermès orange? The more I look at it, the more I love it,” she said.
Chinese iPhone sales reverse a multi-year Asian market slump
Between 2024 and early 2025, Apple’s China revenue fell for 18 consecutive months. The contraction came as home-based brands such as Huawei, Vivo, and Xiaomi pulled ahead in the competition with feature-rich flagship devices.
Moreover, Apple has been in the middle of the strained relations between Beijing and Washington. Some public-sector workers in China were actually directed to phase out iPhones. A year later, Chief Executive Tim Cook boasted of a turnaround…
