Xiaomi's Redmi was the bestselling smartphone in China during April

Xiaomi’s $130 smartphone, Redmi (Red Rice or Hongmi) topped the smartphone chart in China during May 2014, beating both Apple and Samsung at their own game. Xiaomi’s other two handsets are also in the top 10 list, the MI3 and the Redmi Note both phablets with 5 inch or larger screens.

Xiaomi has not yet entered many of the other 35 markets that Counterpoint tracks, but the Redmi was the 5th bestselling smartphone in April on a global basis. This underscores how important the Chinese market is in terms of sheer market size.

Apple’s iPhone 4s and 5s come in at second and third place in China. While the premium iPhone 5S is the global bestseller, the iPhone 4S is more popular in emerging markets like China. It also calls into question whether the iPhone 5C for was positioned correctly when launched. The iPhone 4S is Apple’s means to reach the emerging market users.

Samsung’s Note III continued strong share position shows China’s affection towards the brand and large screen devices. Samsung’s Grand 2 Duos and Galaxy S4 are also in the top 10 list making that a total of 3 devices from the Korean vendor.

Huawei’s Honor 3C is at 6th place which helped Huawei jump ahead of domestic rivals Lenovo and Coolpad. Huawei is the only other brand included in the top 10 list outside of Xiaomi, Apple and Samsung.
For the top 10 list in April only three brands dominated the chart with three devices each. They were again Xiaomi, Apple and Samsung.
Apple and Samsung are the more obvious brands but Xiaomi is still a surprise. It is a benchmark for local brands, large and small. A smaller company called Xiaolajiao launched its new “Red Pepper” smartphone and is creating quite a buzz. We expect a slew of similar products with similar brand campaigns to follow this year in China.

(table source: Monthly Market Pulse April 2014)

^* Mobile Phone sales only (not shipments). Tablets, PCs, dongles, fixed wireless devices not included. All regional or minor hardware variations included in each model.

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Background:

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in Technology products in the TMT industry. It services major technology firms and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects and detailed analysis of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are experts in the industry with an average tenure of 13 years in the high tech industry.