China Smartphone Market: Samsung Not Likely To Remain On Top, Local Brands Will Take Over, Analyst Says

This year, we have witnessed how the focus of most manufacturers shifted from Western and established markets to emerging ones. One big example is the recent quest to become the top smartphone brand in this huge Asian country.

According to a previous report by BGR, the Korean manufacturer is the top smartphone brand in China due to its flurry of releases from entry-level, midrange, to hign-end devices. However, one analyst is not that impressed with Samsung's stellar market performance in China. 

Jun Zhang, an analyst at Wedge Partners, recently wrote a note stating the number of significant changes in the Chinese market. 

"In China, a $300-$400 price range is considered the middle-range smartphone market, compared with the high-end market segment which is dominated by Apple, Samsung, Sony and other foreign brands," said Zhang. 

He adds that this change makes local brands such as Lenovo, Huawei, ZTE, Xiaomi, etc. the edge when it comes to aggressive pricing as their smartphones never reach $700. 

Zhang also noted the significance of partnerships that local smartphone manufacturers already have with local carriers wherein companies are willing to pay higher commissions to retailers in spite the already competitive pricing. 

To end his note, Zhang predicted the next king of the Chinese smartphone market to be Lenovo, led by its recently announced Vibe X. Another local brand, Huawei will follow closely to clinch the second spot. 

"We think Lenovo and Huawei will become the No.1 and No.2 players in China."