Apple Expected to Report Strong Q3 Earnings Boosted by iPhone 17 Sales

In Focus

• Apple is expected to report strong Q3 earnings driven by iPhone 17 sales
• Analysts project an 8.6% growth in iPhone revenue
• Apple’s market valuation hit the $4 trillion mark on October 28, 2025

Apple is expected to report strong third-quarter earnings on October 30, 2025, driven by demand for iPhone 17 sales. According to Reuters, Apple’s iPhone sales boost will demonstrate that the tech giant can push a strong upgrade without integrating AI tools.

Analysts Project Higher Revenue in Q3

Analysts estimate that iPhone 17’s strong demand will push Apple’s smartphone revenue up 8.6% to reach the $50 billion mark. This growth will help increase the total revenue to $102.17 billion. The tech giant is expected to announce $1.77 in earnings per share.

Apple stock hit a record on iPhone sales in the July-September quarter after soaring 24%. The market valuation of the U.S. tech giant reached the $4 trillion mark on October 28, 2025.

“Apple is riding high into earnings with better-than-expected iPhone 17 sales in both the U.S. and China, buoying it back to top-smartphone-provider status. Yet the battle is far from won as questions about its AI standing linger,” eMarketer Analyst Jacob Bourne said.

iPhone 17 sales soared despite analysts projecting that the new smartphone series would face headwinds due to minimal AI features, single camera, and smaller battery size. Despite the soaring iPhone 17 series sales, demand for Apple’s iPhone 17 Air has been low due to the $1000 price tag and single-lens camera feature.

Strong Earnings Could Alleviate Investor Fears

Apple’s third-quarter earnings are expected to alleviate investor fears that the iPhone maker is lagging behind competitors like Google and Samsung in integrating AI into consumer devices.

The iPhone maker has taken time to release Apple AI, a move that has made it less appealing to investors. In September 2025, Google added Gemini AI to Google TV to make viewing more intuitive. With Gemini AI, users can search and discover new content fast and with ease.

A Sneak Preview Apple iPhone Sales Boost

• iPhone 17 models out-sold iPhone16 by 14% in initial 10 days
• Apple’s total Q3 revenue expected to reach $102.17 billion
• Apple expected to announce $1.77 in earnings per share

Why are iPhone 17 Pro Models Seeing Strong Demand?

Apple unveiled iPhone 17 on September 19, 2025. The launch sparked a wave of upgrades in leading markets like China and the U.S. iPhone 17 series comes with improved displays, larger storage, and enhanced displays.

Data from Counterpoint showed higher sales for iPhone 17 series compared to Apple’s Pro model demand in the U.S. and China last year. In the initial 10 days of their availability in the two countries, iPhone 17 models out-sold iPhone16 by 14%.

iPhone 17 series increased Apple’s shipments to China in the third-quarter. The company faces stiff competition from Huawei and Xiaomi in the Asian country.