Sales of smartphones in China grew 21.9% sequentially in the fourth quarter of 2013, but the growth rate dropped to 15.9% on an annual basis which indicates the smartphone market in China is becoming more saturated, according to Digitimes Research.
The launch of secondary brands by Huawei and Coolpad for selling smartphones through the Internet starting late fourth quarter of 2013 has affected sales of Xiaomi Technology and has also intensified competition in the domestic handset market, said Digitimes Research.
Samsung Electronics retained its number one handset vendor ranking in China in 2013. Lenovo, Huawei and Coolpad took positions 2-4, while Apple ranked fifth due to weaker than expected sales of the iPhone 5c and its delayed cooperation with China Mobile.
Despite increasing competition and a saturating market, smartphone sales in China are expected to reach about 100 million units in the first quarter of 2014, powered by strong buying during the Lunar New Year holidays and expanding online sales, Digitimes Research estimated.
