[1] https://www.strategyanalytics.com/zh/strategy-analytics/blog...
> Chinese companies are now threatening employees by demanding they not purchase any Apple products whatsoever, going so far to withhold bonuses, garnish wages or even terminate an uncooperative employee.[1]
[1] https://9to5mac.com/2018/12/24/huawei-iphone-termination-app...
The Chinese courts also blocked iphone sales in China over Qualcomm. My understanding is the newest line of phones weren't affected (they used intel modems), but it affected the older models - which are obviously cheaper and more attractive to the avg. Chinese person compared to the $1,000+ flagships.
Both might not be huge factors in themselves, but probably contributed to Apples decline more than the other brands. It wasn't a proportionate decline across all brands. Apple was hit harder.
The Qualcomm patents in the China suit were software patents unrelated to cellular modems.
>The patents allow users to edit and resize photos and manage apps by using a touchscreen, according to the lawsuit.
https://observer.com/2018/12/qualcomm-lawsuit-iphone-ban-chi...
Apple has already issued a patch with a software workaround.
You may be thinking about the case in Germany.
>DONGGUAN, China — China’s consumers and businesses are losing confidence. Car sales have plunged. The housing market is stumbling. Some factories are letting workers off for the big Lunar New Year holiday two months early.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/business/china-economy-xi...
Jan 8 "Samsung said fourth quarter profits would likely come in at around 10.8 trillion Korean won ($9.67 billion), well shy of the market consensus of 13.2 trillion won, with sales falling 11% to 59 trillion won. Samsung only has a 1% share of the China handset market, compared to around 9% for Apple, but its chips and screens make their way into handsets made by Huawei Technologies, as well as Apple's iPhones, and that segment comprises a much larger portion of its operating profits"
https://www.thestreet.com/investing/stocks/apple-v-samsung-c...