Fight for the first bite (4)

Can the glory continue?

The rivalry over who will best ride the upcoming iPhone wave seems to be all the more intensified, but some market watchers are not so quick to say that the battle will be an epic one.

"The iPhone 5 is not as likely to continue its mojo in driving up the carriers' 3G business as its predecessors, as there are a rising number of alternatives out there in the market today," Fu Liang, an independent telecom analyst, told the Global Times in a recent interview.

In addition to challenges by its key competitor, the Galaxy S series from South Korean handset maker Samsung Electronics, there have also been rising threats from the country's homegrown brands, according to analysts.

Apple's share of the mainland marketplace for smartphones has continued to slide on its downward spiral this year. In the third quarter of the year, the tech giant even dropped out of the list of the top five smartphone vendors in China's market, UK-based market research firm Canalys announced earlier this month.

The iPhone maker held the fifth spot in the second quarter, dropping from the second rank during the first quarter, according to the research firm.

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