iPhone slump: the rivals taking a bite out of Apple

As firm's stock falls over sales warnings, it has competition in bid to be the best smartphone

• Apple's shock profit warning sends European shares sliding

As Apple's shares tumble after its cut in forecasts, the company is laying the blame squarely on the economic slowdown in China. But that is only part of the problem.

Never before has Apple faced such fierce competition from a multitude of rivals from around the globe, all vying for a slice of the lucrative premium smartphone market. Matching or exceeding Apple's iPhone on hardware quality, these phones are arguably more capable, often cheaper and, perhaps crucially for China, made by local firms, not only those from the US and South Korea.