Emerging markets and focus on cheaper handsets to drive growth
Chinese companies will account for half of all mobile handset sales by 2015, according to figures released by ABI Research.
Chinese firms already account for around 38 percent of sales and account for five of the top ten vendors in the world.
On the manufacturing side, cheaper wages in the region has long seen it dominate the supply of phones, but ABI is now predicting its OEMs will eat into the market share of the bigger players.
ABI isn’t predicting a challenge at the top-end of the market but instead developing markets where cheaper handsets dominate.
ZTE is already the world’s fifth largest manufacturer, Hauwei sits in sixth, while Lenovo’s purchase of Motorola Mobility gives it a major profile boost in the West.
“The Chinese vendors highlight the changing shape of the mobile handset market, as the Chinese manufacturing ecosystem, specifically reference designs, enable the next wave of smartphone growth in low cost emerging markets and amongst price conscious consumers everywhere,” said Nick Spencer, senior practice director, mobile devices, ABI Research.