Samsung takes top spot in Chinese market for 2012
updated 12:33 am EDT, Mon March 11, 2013
Samsung tops Apple, Nokia, Lenovo in China
South Korean manufacturer Samsung sold the most smartphones in China of any manufacturer for 2012, according to a new report out from Strategy Analytics. In taking the top spot, Samsung beat out competitors including Apple, Lenovo, and Nokia, which held the top spot for Chinese smartphone sales in 2011. Yonhap News reports that this marks the first time that Samsung has held the number one position in China.
A wide range of smartphone offerings at many price points helped Samsung grab 17.7 percent of the Chinese market with 30.06 million units sold. Lenovo came in second with 13.2 percent of the market, while Apple trailed with 11 percent. Huawei and Coolpad rounded out the top five with 9.9 and 9.7 percent, respectively.
Finnish smartphone maker Nokia held 29.9 percent of China's smartphone sales in 2011, but low adoption of its Windows Phone handsets since led to Nokia holding only 3.7 percent in 2012, a seventh-place finish.
Samsung's 2012 sales are nearly triple the 10.9 units the company sold in China in 2011. Observers attribute Samsung's swift rise to increasing brand recognition, as well as the company's willingness to increase cooperation with Chinese mobile operators.
