Bad timing? Smartphone shipments in China fall, just as a new player announces its arrival

By Andy Boxall Published May 11, 2015

qiku phone launch news smartphones — Image used with permission by copyright holder

For the first time in six years, the amount of smartphones shipped in China has fallen, but it’s not deterring new players from entering the market. The drop isn’t much, just 4.3 percent over this time last year, but it shows the market is nearly mature — and manufacturers will turn their attention to pushing upgrades towards existing users, rather than targeting first time owners.

The news comes via ZDNet and from market analysts IDC China, and the company’s research also showed Apple at the top of the shipment charts with 14.7-percent, followed by Xiaomi with 13.7-percent market share. Behind the leading pair in third position is Huawei with 11.4-percent, then Samsung at 9.7-percent and Lenovo with 8.3-percent market share.

Recommended Videos

Interestingly, the story this time last year was very different. Samsung led with 19.9-percent market share, way out ahead of Lenovo with 10.2-percent. Xiaomi and Apple were in third and fourth place respectively, each with around 9-percent share. IDC says the results from early 2015 will set the tone for China throughout the year, and it expects flat growth aside from those switching from feature phones to low-cost smartphones costing less than $150.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

QiKU’s the new name in town, and it’s going to take on Xiaomi

It’s surprising, then, that a new smartphone company has started up in China. It’s called QiKU, and it’s a joint venture between Qihoo 360 Technology and Coolpad. The target? Xiaomi, and probably its second place in the market too. Qihoo 360 makes security software and operates the so.com search engine, while Coolpad is a well-established phone and tablet manufacturer. Coolpad’s one of the top five manufacturers in China, but its market share has suffered at the hands of Xiaomi over the past year.

At QiKU’s launch event, the company promised a wide variety of high-quality phones, which are rumored to start at around $160 — a key price point in IDC’s research. Qihoo 360’s CEO, Zhou Hongyi, said the hardware would be better built than Xiaomi’s, and more affordable. However, no phones have been revealed just yet. According to a report in the China Daily, they may arrive next month. Qihoo also has its own, newly developed mobile operating system, based on Android, which will almost certainly be installed on the new phones.

QiKU’s target of taking on Xiaomi was already ambitious, and has now been made harder by a stabilizing Chinese smartphone market. We’ll bring you more news on the QiKU phones when they’re fully announced.

Topics

Senior Mobile Writer

Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

Mobile

Get the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra while it’s $350 off, but act fast!

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's camera.

When it comes to Samsung Galaxy deals, we’re always on the lookout for discounts and promotions for smartphones and tablets. That’s how we came across this fantastic offer on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Right now, when you order the unlocked 256GB version of the phone at Best Buy, you’ll only pay $950. At full price, this model sells for $1,300. We tested this phone a while ago, and reviewers Andy Boxall and Christine Romero-Chan had the following to say: “The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the most complete, most capable, and most creatively versatile smartphones we've ever used.” The S24 even appears in our list of the best phones of 2024.

And if you’re looking for a different brand of phone entirely, our list of the best phone deals features top discounts on everything from iPhones and Samsung Galaxy devices to Google Pixel and OnePlus.

Mobile

How to move your Twitter/X follows to Bluesky

Launch screen of Bluesky on an iPhone.

Bluesky has ascended in popularity, gaining over 20 million users in the past month. The influx of new users come mostly from X (formerly Twitter), in the wake of Donald Trump's reelection and a series of controversial changes made by Elon Musk.

If you're looking to leave X, then one of the things holding you back is the idea of losing your precious follows and followers. After all, most users have built up relationships and don't want to lose them. If this is you, you're probably wondering how you can migrate your Twitter followers and follows to Bluesky without losing them. Luckily, we have a solution to that problem — whether you have already deleted your X account or still have it up and running.

Deals

Garmin’s Apple Watch Ultra competitor has a $250 discount today

The Garmin Fenix 7X smartwatch with stats on the screen.

Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us, we can start refocusing on the deals and discounts that matter most to us (instead of every deal all at once). And if you’ve been shopping around for smartwatch deals, the following offer may be of interest to you: For a limited time, when you purchase the Garmin Fenix 7X Pro (with 51mm band) directly through Amazon or Garmin, you’ll only pay $750. At full price, this model sells for $1,000. The Garmin Fenix 8 is out already, but if you don't mind having an older model, this deal saves you a nice chunk of change.

Why you should buy the Garmin Fenix 7X Pro
Whether you’re looking for a digital companion to track vitals on your daily jog or you’ve been looking for a way to get more exercise inspiration in general, the Fenix 7X Pro is a great way to jumpstart and maintain a healthier lifestyle. With its 1.4-inch sapphire solar-charged display and 51mm polymer case with a titanium bezel and rear cover, the 7X Pro looks fantastic, is tough as nails, and has a number of intuitive buttons and touchscreen controls.