Apple is losing its edge because the company just got smoked in recent patent rankings. The iPhone maker slid down two spots on the annual IFI list while rivals surged ahead. Samsung, TSMC, Qualcomm, and Huawei all secured more intellectual property grants than the Cupertino brand. Apple ended up with 2,722 patents, which reflects a drop of nearly 12 percent.
Samsung held onto first place for a fourth consecutive time after snagging 7,054 grants. That figure represents an 11 percent increase. TSMC took second with 4,194 awards, and Qualcomm landed third with 3,749. Huawei grabbed fourth while Samsung Display rounded out the top five.
The US patent office saw total grants dip slightly last year. Applications also fell roughly 9...