Apple took top spot in the global smartphone market during the last quarter of 2020, for the first time since the same period in 2016, according to figures from research firm Gartner. Its estimates show that Apple shipped 79.94m devices in the quarter, equating to 20.8% market share, overtaking Samsung on 16.2%. Huawei, pressurized by international sanctions and restrictions on component supply, dropped to fifth position with 8.9%, a sharp comedown from the earlier part of 2020, when it had seemed poised to seize a global lead. Fellow Chinese suppliers Xiaomi and Oppo were ranked third and fourth respectively. Gartner said the launch of the 5G iPhone 12 series was the key driver behind Apple’s double-digit growth in the quarter.…