Apple beat out domestic and foreign competitors to become the top phone vendor in China in the final quarter of 2014 - the first time it's led the Chinese market, according to Canalys, a company that tracks global smartphone sales.
The pressure is on Apple to produce a 5-in. or larger display iPhone, since the so-called "phablet" segment grew by 369% in the first quarter and represented 34% of all smartphones shipped.
The trend toward large-touchscreen smartphones - 5-inch and above - reached its highest level yet in the third quarter, as they accounted for 22 per cent of all smartphones shipped worldwide.
For those that call tablets personal computers, Apple Inc. is the world's top PC maker, according to research firm Canalys.
China's smartphone market is growing so fast that it is expected to be nearly twice as large as the US market this year, according to research firm Canalys.