The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that Apple on Thursday forecast a surge of up to 16 per cent in revenue for the March quarter, well ahead of Wall Street's expectations, powered by strong demand for its iPhones and a sharp rebound in China. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says the positive news followed holiday-quarter results that beat estimates, with chief executive officer Tim Cook telling Reuters that demand for the latest handsets was "staggering." Apple's iPhone 17 lineup helped lift sales across key markets, easing investor concerns about a hardware sales plateau. The devices have been well received for their upgraded camera features and performance improvements, with Apple also benefiting from a wave of upgrades from users holding onto older models. Apple expects revenue for its fiscal second quarter to grow 13 per cent to 16 per cent, versus a 10-per-cent rise that analysts expected. IPhone revenue rose to $85.27-billion (U.S.) in the first quarter ended Dec. 27, well above the $78.65-billion (U.S.) analysts had expected. Apple said iPhone sales set records in every geographic segment, highlighting broad-based demand despite macroeconomic uncertainty. Revenue grew 23 per cent year-over-year.