Apple's resurgence in China after a three-year slump was supposedly helped by a color, with the iPhone 17 Pro's bright orange option compared to the hue of luxury brand Hermes.

During Apple's blockbuster Q1 2026 results, revenue from China reversed a three-year slump in sales, increasing 38% year over year. If analysts are to be believed, it may have had something to do with Apple's color selection.

Prominently featured in marketing, the Cosmic Orange colorway for the iPhone 17 Pro line certainly catches the eye. But apparently, in China at least, it has been linked to another luxury brand.

IDC researchers speaking to the Financial Times say that the bright orange color has helped the iPhone go viral online in China. Thousands of posts and videos have been made by people showing off their tangerine smartphone to other users, seemingly because of its color.

The online audience also refers to it by "Hermes orange" rather than Apple's official name for it.

Apple has worked with Hermes in the past, including shipping Hermes bands for the Apple Watch. However, there is no official connection with Hermes specifically for the current generation of iPhones.

Orange Success

While a likeness to Hermes' signature "Color Code 93" helps, the orange may also be aiding the iPhone in other ways.

The report continues, saying that buyers have played up how "Orange" sounds like the word "Success" in Mandarin. Buyers discussing the color have frequently uttered "May all your wishes turn orange; may orange come at once."

There is also the nature of the color standing out compared to other options on the market. Social media influencer An Liang pointed this out to his audience in a video, saying the color tells everyone it's the latest iPhone model.

More than orange

Of course, there are other elements that could've helped Apple sell more iPhones beyond it being orange. Significant improvements to performance, the camera system, and a significantly overhauled design will also have helped the iPhone 17 Pro gain more attention from consumers.

There's also the matter of lower sales of iPhones in previous years helping create the conditions for a "supercycle," IDC says. The number of users who hadn't upgraded their iPhone for years was convinced to finally make the upgrade this time.

A factor in that happening may have been China's subsidy program, which helped to cut the cost of the iPhone to consumers by 15%. However, this would've only affected the base iPhone 17, not available in orange, which was priced just within the program's upper limit.

It's more likely that the sales increase came from multiple market forces working together simultaneously than just a color. But the choice seemingly helped Apple get a bumper year in one of its toughest markets.