Apple Inc is poised to surpass Samsung Electronics Co and become the world's largest smartphone maker this year for the first time in more than a decade. The surge is driven by the strong debut of the new iPhone 17 series and a wave of consumers upgrading their devices, according to Counterpoint Research.The latest iPhone 17 models, launched in September, have been a major hit both in the United States and in Apple’s other critical market, China, leading to double-digit year-over-year sales growth in both r ...