Apple’s struggles in China extend to earphones and tablets

BEIJING — Apple’s struggles in China are spreading beyond poor iPhone sales, with shipments of wireless earphones and tablets falling last year as consumers shift to more affordable domestic manufacturers.

While total earphones shipped in China last year reached 72.35 million units, up 5.6% from the previous year, according to U.S. research firm IDC, Apple’s earphone shipments declined 31.7%. That saw the U.S. tech giant’s market share sink from second place to fourth.