Apple becomes world’s biggest smartphone seller with record shipments

Apple Inc cornered nearly a quarter of the global smartphone market in the fourth quarter, making it the world’s biggest seller, while shipments for Huawei plunged as U.S sanctions against it took effect.

Data from research firm IDC showed Apple’s shipments surged 22% to a record 90.1 million phones in the quarter, giving it global market share of 23.4%.

The shipment data comes after the US tech giant reported record holiday quarter sales on Wednesday, with revenue crossing $100 billion for the first time.

Apple shipped its iPhone 12 lineup, its first 5G-enabled devices, several weeks later than usual, but an expanded number of models and new look tapped pent up demand for upgrades, especially in China.