The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that Apple on Thursday forecast steady growth after its third-quarter iPhone sales topped Wall Street targets, even as overall results in China disappointed. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says that shares of the company rose 1 per cent in extended trading. Apple said revenue in its fiscal fourth quarter would grow at a level similar to the 4.9-per-cent increase it posted in the April to June period. Its sales totalled $85.78-billion in the three months ended June 29, beating the average analyst estimate of $84.53-billion (all figures U.S.). Its revenue had declined in the first three months of the year. Sales of iPhones fell 0.9 per cent to $39.3-billion, a smaller decline than the 2.2-per-cent drop analysts expected, as demand picked up ahead of the launch of artificial-intelligence features. Chief financial officer Luca Maestri told Reuters that the iPhone results were better than he had expected three months ago. Still, China -- Apple's third-largest market -- remained a drag as sales there declined 6.5 per cent. While that was an improvement from the 8.1-per-cent decline in the previous quarter, it was wider than expectations for a drop of 2.4 per cent.