Apple phone sales

Research firm Strategy Analytics said the launch of the iPhone 5 and the declining popularity of non-smartphones made Apple the biggest seller of phones in the U.S. in last year’s holiday season, for the first time.

The firm estimated that Apple shipped 17.7 million iPhones of all kinds to U.S. buyers in the October-December period, meaning it accounted for one in three new phones.

Samsung Electronics of Korea was close behind, shipping 16.8 million phones, including non-smartphones.

BlackBerry bidding

BlackBerry’s new Z10 smartphone is attracting bids of as much as $1,725 on eBay’s auction site, a sign of early demand for the device in the U.S., where it doesn’t go on sale until next month.

When the Z10 officially goes on sale in the U.S., the unlocked version is expected to cost $599.

Confidence gain

Confidence among American households unexpectedly rose last month in a possible benefit to consumer spending, the largest part of the economy.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index of consumer sentiment climbed to 73.8 in January from 72.9 in December. The gauge was projected to drop to 71.5.

Over a barrel

Kraft Foods is suing Cracker Barrel Old Country Store over the restaurant chain’s plans to use the Cracker Barrel name on packaged ham and bacon.

Kraft said it started using the Cracker Barrel name on cheese in 1954. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, which operates 620 restaurants around the country, was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn.

Kraft said it never took any formal legal action until now because Cracker Barrel Old Country Store had been using the name only at its own locations and website. Kraft said the chain’s plans to sell hams and bacon using the Cracker Barrel name will cause “significant confusion” among consumers.