Patent lawsuit turns up heat on Apple

Qualcomm Inc's decision to file a patent lawsuit against Apple Inc in China is putting pressure on the US smartphone maker as it faces mounting competition from local rivals, analysts said on Monday.

The move came at a critical point when Apple's 10th anniversary iPhone is set to compete head-to-head with Mate 10, the artificial-intelligence-enabled handset unveiled by Huawei Technologies Co Ltd on Monday in Germany.

Jia Mo, an analyst at global consultancy Canalys, said: "Qualcomm taking the initiative to challenge Apple in the world's largest smartphone market shows that the chip giant is no longer willing to compromise its intellectual property income."