Apple reported strong iPhone sales and rebound in revenue from China, giving a much-needed boost to two parts of the company’s business that had struggled over the past year. That better-than-expected performance reassured Wall Street investors that key parts of its business are holding steady as Apple struggles to keep pace with rivals in the artificial intelligence race and navigates President Donald Trump’s looming tariffs.

The company’s revenue was about 10% higher than the same period a year ago, showing an unexpected ability to weather tariff blows.

Apple’s sales in China have also suffered from competition from local handset makers such as Huawei and Xiaomi. However, revenue from China increased 4 per cent in the quarter from a year ago, hitting $15.4bn and bucking a trend of quarterly declines.