Apple sees biggest sales jump in 4 years, powered by 'staggering' iPhone demand

Group 1 - Apple's iPhone 17 saw a significant sales increase of nearly 25% during the holiday period, contributing to a record revenue of $143.8 billion in the fiscal first quarter, which is a 16% increase year-over-year [1] - The revenue growth was particularly strong in North America and China, where Apple had previously lost market share to local competitors [1] - CEO Tim Cook described the sales results as "staggering" and indicated that the company is open to acquisitions in the AI sector, without being tied to a specific company size [4][5] Group 2 - Apple continues to face a 10% tariff on products shipped from China, with costs aligning with the company's guidance of $1.4 billion for the quarter [4] - The company announced the acquisition of Israeli AI audio company Q.ai, which Cook believes will provide significant benefits [5] - Cook confirmed that Apple's AI assistant, Siri, will be powered by Google's Gemini, indicating a collaborative approach rather than a competitive stance against OpenAI [9] Group 3 - In the context of AI spending, Cook noted that Apple is investing significantly, although he did not disclose specific figures [6] - There are reports suggesting that Cook may be considering stepping back from his leadership role, but he emphasized the importance of ensuring a strong succession plan within the company [8]