Mac sales soar on Asia appeal: June up 67% in China

Strong demand for Mac computers in China has seen Apple's sales growth soar in Asia, it's reported, with Mac shipments growing at over 67-percent in June, far outpacing their PC counterparts. In a new investor note, Needham analyst Charlie Wolf, quoted by AllThingsD, claims that the incredible uptick in Chinese sales "represents a perfect storm between an iconic brand and a rapidly growing middle class that's more brand conscious than consumers in virtually every other region of the globe."

In June, PC shipments grew 2.7-percent, while Mac shipments grew 14.6-percent. That's the global growth, however; in China alone, shipments surged 67.6-percent, while Asia as a whole saw a 13-percent increase in home computing sales and a 31.5-percent increase in business computing sales. In contrast, the PC market declined 0.3-percent in the same period for home computing sales.

The brand-appeal Apple possesses in China has seen numerous companies attempt to cash in on retail demand, with a number of fake Apple stores being discovered using the Cupertino firm's branding and aesthetic. Meanwhile, Apple itself is tipped to be preparing a "simplified" version of the iPhone 4 which would specifically target the Chinese market.