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4.7-Inch, 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 on Release Date

It is understood that the remaining part of the contract was given to Hon Hai Precision, which owns and operates Foxconn, a major Apple lenovo S8 manufacturing partner.
On the strength of Catcher's partnership with the iPhone maker, the former revealed its highest earnings so far, registering more than $154 million by the end of July 2014. And such will be the trend for Catcher in the closing months of the year and up to the early parts of 2015.
Per Patently Apple, growth will continue to characterize Catcher's efforts in the next few quarters mostly because of its collaboration with Apple - meaning the contractor will be part of the iPhone 6 supply chain for a stretch of periods to come.
Specifically, Catcher is expected to supply a big bulk of the chassis for the next iPhone, working on the two models - the 4.7-inch and the 5.5-inch, which somehow confirmed that the device will make a landfall in two screen sizes.
Another proof that Apple has opted to upsize from the 4-inch iPhone 5S are the fresh images that 9to5Google has picked up from AppleClub - a Chinese-language site operating from Taiwan.
The pictures showed and somehow proved that the 5S screen is destined to be overwhelmed by its successor. The iPhone 6, the report said, will come out of the box sporting a display panel that will dwarf over its predecessor.
It could be that buyers will be first served with the 4.7-inch edition that latest reports will get introduced on September 9 and will be made available a few weeks (or days) following the Apple press event.
Then the release date for the phablet-size 5.5-inch iPhone will soon follow suit, which according to analysts will happen between December 2014 and January 2015, likely coinciding with that of Apple's first iOS-powered wearable device - the iWatch.
The latest clue, according to Patently Apple, can be gleaned from the recent report issued by Taiwan-based Catcher Technology, which specializes in the manufacturer of high-end chassis used for laptops and mobile devices.
It was reported earlier this year that the Asian supplier has secured a huge contract from Apple that will see the former delivering the casings that will house the two iPhone models planned for global rollout in the second half of 2014.
This was confirmed by a DigiTimes article that saw print last week. "Catcher entered the supply chain of the iPhone lenovo S960 in 2014 and acquired about 30 per cent of the chassis orders," the Taiwanese publication said.

Xiaomi Mi3 vs Xolo Q3000

We’re not taking into account the designs of these two phones here, as that is very much a case of personal choice. From the specs we can see some similarities between these two phones lenovo A830 and some advantages for each.
The Xiaomi Mi3 has a faster processor, a display with higher ppi, dual-LED flash, and supports NFC. It’s also the slimmer and lighter of the two handsets. Meanwhile the Xolo Q3000 has a larger display, expandable storage, a higher megapixel front-facing camera, and higher capacity battery that’s also removable. We should also point out that the Xolo Q3000 is a dual SIM device whereas the Mi3 is not.
You can see more on the Xiaomi Mi3 or Xolo Q3000 at these links. Any consideration between these two handsets is likely to come down to what factors are most important to you with a smartphone, and we’d like to know which you would choose. Will it be the Xiaomi Mi3 that’s currently gaining such attention, or the Xolo Q3000?
The Xiaomi Mi3 smartphone is making real waves on the market in India at the moment. It has just released there and is seeing big demand. On the other hand the Xolo Q3000 was launched in India at the beginning of the year and has been a popular device. Today we’re comparing the Xiaomi Mi3 vs. Xolo Q3000 in an India shootout.
These Android phones have competitive price points so some readers may be trying to choose between them. We’ll highlight the key specs of each for easy comparison, and hopefully this will help you to decide which is the best choice for you. We’re comparing the 16GB version of the Xiaomi Mi3 as this is the model more widely available.
The Xiaomi Mi3 has a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor and Adreno 330 graphics. The Xolo Q3000 has a 1.5GHz MediaTek quad-core processor with PowerVR SGX544 GPU.
The Xiaomi phone has a 5-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 and 441 ppi. The Xolo handset has a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution and 386 ppi.
The Mi3 has 2GB of RAM and comes with 16GB of internal storage (non-expandable). The Q3000 has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD to 32GB.
The Xiaomi Mi3 has a 13-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, dual-LED flash, and 1080p lenovo K860 video capture, as well as a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The Xolo Q3000 has a 13-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, LED flash, 1080p video recording capability, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
Both of these phones have a sizeable battery. The Mi3 has a non-removable 3050 mAh battery while the Q3000 has a 4000 mAh battery.
Both phones support 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, GPRS, EDGE, microUSB 2.0 and USB OTG. The Mi3 has Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and the Q3000 has Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and the Mi3 also supports NFC.
The Xiaomi Mi3 runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean upgradable to Android 4.4.2 KitKat. The Q3000 released running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, upgradable to 4.4 KitKat.
The Mi3 measures 144mm x 73.6mm x 8.1mm and weighs 145g while the Q3000 measures 164.8mm x 81.6mm x 8.9mm and weighs 201g.
The Xiaomi Mi3 16GB model launched for India at Rs. 14,999, but we’ve seen it priced from around Rs. 13,999. The Xolo Q3000 launched at Rs. 20,999 but can now be found much cheaper at around Rs, 14,900.

A worthy competitor to Apple and Samsung

For the time being, Xiaomi's influence outside of China lenovo p770 is relatively limited: Its handsets are not officially available in Western markets. But Xiaomi has begun targeting other emerging markets, including India.
Xiaomi's Mi 3, the predecessor to the Mi 4, went on sale in India last month. After just a few weeks, there's no hard data on Xiaomi's success in the Indian market, but anecdotal evidence paints a bright picture: Flipkart, the popular Indian e-commerce site, has struggled to keep the phone in stock (as of this writing, would-be buyers must register for a chance to purchase the phone).
As with Chinese consumers, Indian buyers may find Xiaomi's value enticing. The Mi 3 retails for around $230 in India -- for comparison, Apple's nearly three-year-old iPhone 4s costs about twice as much. In contrast, Samsung offers Indians a variety of low-cost Galaxy handsets, some of which are cheaper than Xiaomi's Mi 3. None, however, offer as much value -- Samsung's Galaxy Grand is priced competitively with the Mi 3, but features weaker hardware.
The Mi 4 has not yet made its way to India, but should be expected to do so in the coming months. Although it's more expensive, the Mi 4 offers beefier internals, a higher quality camera, and 4G network connectivity.
Xiaomi faces fierce competition in India (not just Apple and Samsung), but with the value it's offering, it would not be surprising to see Xiaomi eventually emerge as a dominant player in Indian handset market.
Certainly, with its meteoric rise to the top of the Chinese market, Xiaomi has indisputably become a worthy competitor to Apple and Samsung. While all eyes focus on Apple and its next flagship, Xiaomi's new Mi 4 could prove to be nearly as important.
Leaked: Apple's next smart device (warning, it may shock you)
Apple recently recruited a secret-development "dream team" to guarantee its newest smart device was kept hidden from the public for as long as possible. But the secret is out, and some early viewers are claiming its everyday impact could trump the iPod, iPhone, and the iPad. In fact, ABI Research predicts 485 million of this type of device will be sold per year. But one small company makes Apple's gadget possible. And its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early-in-the-know investors. To be one of them, and see Apple's newest smart gizmo, just click here!
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) is likely to unveil the next iPhone on Sept. 9. The iPhone 6, which could come in two different varieties, is expected to feature a larger screen, and should smash existing sales records. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is prepared to move as many as 70 million-80 million of the new iPhones by the end of December.
Should that prove to be the case, Apple's iPhone 6 will clearly be the most significant handset released in 2014, parking a massive upgrade cycle, and perhaps poaching some of Samsung's (NASDAQOTH: SSNLF ) best customers.
But there's another handset, one that could ultimately prove nearly as important, and in some ways, perhaps even more so. While the public looks forward to the iPhone 6's debut, Xiaomi's Mi 4 is already available for sale.
Apple's iPhone 6 is widely expected to ship with a 4.7-inch screen. If that's the case, it will be slightly smaller than Xiaomi's 5-inch Mi 4 Lenovo K920 . The recently released flagship, which Xiaomi unveiled last month, features a large, full HD display, 3 GB of RAM, and a speedy, Snapdragon 801 processor.
In other words, it's about as powerful as Samsung's Galaxy S5, and its performance could be comparable to Apple's iPhone 6. But unlike Samsung and Apple's flagships, the Mi 4 is cheap, costing Chinese consumers around $325. Prices vary by carrier, but Chinese buyers generally have to pay two or three times as much for Samsung's Galaxy S5 or Apple's iPhone 5s.
With high-end hardware and bargain prices, it's no surprise that Xiaomi has taken China by storm. Despite being founded just four years ago, the company has risen to the top of the Chinese handset market. According to research firm Canalys, Xiaomi sold more handsets in China than Apple or Samsung last quarter, making it the fifth largest smartphone vendor in the world.

HTC One E8

For roughly the same price, Samsung's Galaxy S5 offers a better camera, IR lenovo A630 , water/dust resistance and better battery life. However, if you are looking for a high-end smartphone with dual SIM support, the HTC One E8 is the only option.
5-inch SuperLCD 3 (1920 x 1080 pixels), 2.5Ghz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, microSD slot (up to 128GB supported), NFC, WiFi, WiFi Direct, 3G, dual SIM, Android 4.4, 2,600mAh, 145 grams 
The most prominent cutback is that the E8 has a polycarbonate plastic body instead of metal. While this takes away the premium look of the device, it does bring the weight down substantially. Our review unit had a glossy white body, which got visible scratches within a few minutes of usage. You're better off getting the black variant, which has a sturdier matte finish. Other cutbacks in in comparison to the HTC One M8 include a 13MP camera instead of Ultrapixel duo camera and removal of IR blaster.
Hardware on both phones is similar — the 2.5Ghz quad core Snapdragon 801 processor with 2GB RAM keeps things running butter smooth. It easily handles multi-tasking, HD video and plays all sorts of games without a hitch. The 13MP camera on the HTC One E8 is similar to the one on HTC Desire 816. It takes good quality images and videos outdoors, but images lack details.
Plus, we noticed that colours felt washed out at times. A good thing is that the camera is much faster — tap the shutter button and the image is saved almost instantly. The 5MP front shooter also takes good quality images, but unlike the One M8, does not feature a wide-angle lens. As a premium smartphone, the HTC One lenovo S8 is an impressive offering but it can't match up to the competition.

Smartphone Contain Metal?

You also have to worry about radio issues with metal phones specs of lenovo A880 , wear and tear, weight, etc. In my opinion, metal isn’t exactly the greatest material available for building smartphones.
So I’m curious about this metal thing. Is a metal phone or design that includes metal a requirement when you buy a phone? Is this whole “metal is premium” thing overblown by Apple-leaning tech journos? Feel free to vote below, then hit up the comments.
I can tell you one thing I know for sure about metal phones – they can be insanely slippery and frustrating to deal with. I spent more than enough time with HTC’s last two flagship phones, the One (M7) and One (M8), both of which were unusable at times because of their lack of grip. Apple could have worked some different metal magic with the iPhone to make it less slippery, but I sort of doubt it. iPhones just happen to be small smartphones that are easily held, whereas Android phones are all oversized and at times tough to hold anyway.
I don’t know who we should put more of the blame on – Apple for their chamfered edges and metal design choices with the iPhone, or Samsung for using the cheapest feeling plastics on the planet to build their smartphones specs of lenovo A880 white with, but people seem to refer to all plastic embodied phones as “cheap” these days. The Nexus 5 certainly doesn’t feel cheap, neither do the G3 or Moto X or OnePlus One, yet they are all made of plastic. But here we are today, talking about Samsung’s new Galaxy Alpha with its metal banding, chamfered edges, and “premium” design, because metal means premium, or something.

Samsung Smartphone Market

Sure, the Android OS from Google (GOOG) is always at the top of the heap when it comes to market share. That’s what happens when you make your operating system price of Lenovo S898T open source and focus on penetration of software instead of hardware profits.
But when it comes to actual hardware units sold in the U.S., Apple is doing much better than many give it credit for; At the end of 2013, Apple still commanded a handy 40% share of the U.S. smartphone market. Samsung was indeed No. 2, but with just over 24% share.
Of course, that’s just the U.S. what about elsewhere?
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Well in the closely-watched smartphone market of China, manufacturer Xiaomi actually reigns supreme. The company now commands a 14% share in China, bumping Samsung to a tentative No. 2 in a three-way tie for second with Lenovo and Yulong at 12% market share each.
Furthermore, in the fast-growing Market of India Samsung is also losing ground. Micromax is the No. 1 1 in India, bumping Samsung from its top perch there according to a Counterpoint Research.
Sure, Samsung still holds a competitive spot in all these markets.
But being No. 1 nowhere — especially after it previously held the crown in both China and India — should be of serious concern to Samsung investors.
In the short term, the organic growth of these markets will surely continue to drive increased sales … but eventually, as China and India marketplaces mature, brand leadership will start to matter much more.
Samsung needs to turn this around in a hurry if it wants to stay relevant amid tough smartphone competition.
Samsung (SSNLF) has gotten a lot of press over the last few years as the giant slayer that has stood up to Apple (AAPL) in the smartphone space.
Samsung185 Samsung Smartphone Market Share Is in Deep TroubleIn fact, the much-rumored large screen iPhone 6 seems to be inspired by the success of “phablets” like the Samsung Galaxy Note with its nearly 6-inch screen price of lenovo S8 .
However, Samsung isn’t quite the sure-thing that some smartphone investors seem to think.
Here’s why the smartphone market share of Samsung is actually in a precarious position right now:

Xiaomi Mi 3 vs Asus Zenfone 5 vs Huawei Honor 3C

If you are the creative sort, you will like the Zenfone's camera UI lenovo A269i , which includes presets that let you take low-light shots, pictures where everyone is smiling, create GIF animations and more. Results are decent, but tend to get really noisy in low light. 
The handset's audio playback is commendable, with its ability to output discernable bass and clear vocals. But like in the case of the Mi 3, call quality wasn't quite up to the mark. 
Sadly, its battery life of just six hours proved to be its weakness. But for this drawback, the Zenfone manages to deliver value for money . 
The Honor 3C — with its glossy white plastic finish — doesn't look slick. Still, its thinner bezel results in a slightly tighter form factor, making it easier to handle as well as carry in the shirt pocket. It is fronted by a quality HD display that offers excellent contrast, richer colours and deep blacks. Sadly, it is not scratch-resistant. 
The Honor 3C — powered by a quad-core processor, and coupled with great touchscreen response and a proprietary user interface (Emotion 2.0) — works flawlessly for most productivity tasks, and is better in certain areas like the notification centre and single-handed use than the Asus ZenUI.
There are very few pre-loaded apps on this device; utilities like a flashlight, voice recorder, phone manager, and KingSoft Office for productivity is all you will find on the Honor 3C. 
But the mainstay of this smartphone is its call quality, which is the best when compared with all the sub-15k phones in this review. Audio output, however, lacks bass punch. 
Its 8MP and 5MP cameras are quick to focus and take some commendable shots and videos with fair amount of detail. 
As far as battery life is concerned, you can get a full day's use — phone calls, web browsing, e-mails and gaming — on a single charge.
Indian smartphone market has recently witnessed some hot launches in the 5-inch category. Here's comparing three new 5-inchers priced under Rs 15,000 — Xiaomi Mi 3, Asus Zenfone 5 and Huawei Honor 3C. 
The 8.1mm-slim Mi 3 handset boasts of toughened Gorilla Glass and an aluminium magnesium alloy frame that's coated with three layers of thermal graphite to make it look and feel far more premium than its asking price. 
Now, if this handset has been making headlines, it's because of its quality hardware that's capable of serious graphic processing that, hitherto, was only seen in devices costing thrice as much. Full HD movies and 3D games are rendered wonderfully; displayed crisply and with vibrant colours on its Full HD screen; and multi-tasking is handled effortlessly. A special mention should be made of the handset's Miui user interface that's light on the system, intuitive to use, and highly customizable using its proprietary Theme app. 
On the downside, the sound quality here is not the best we've experienced. Music playback — though clear — seemed softer than all other phones in this review, while calls lacked clarity at times, but this is not a deal breaker. 
For the click-happy, the Mi 3 comes with a 13MP main shooter with dual flash and a 2MP front camera. The former is quick to focus, though the resultant output lacks detail when zoomed into. Still, the photos and videos shot with the Mi 3 are good for sharing on the web, and to use with apps. Notably, the front cam comes with a filter that softens selfies to create blemish-less complexions. 
All in all, the Mi 3 is a package that's miles ahead of the competition. It comes with preloaded apps such as a call recorder, an office suite, FM radio, and even cloud storage. 
You get a device that's equipped with NFC Lenovo S850 , and which can also create a strong wireless hotspot. Additionally, in tests, its battery gave us six hours of Full HD movie playback, and lasts for nearly two days with normal usage. 
The Zenfone 5 is mostly an all-plastic affair, although the build quality is top-notch, complete with Gorilla Glass and a fine radial, metallic texture on the buttons and the bottom edge of the phone; its gently curved back gives it greater grip and feels natural to hold. 
Most notably, its dual-core Intel processor rises well to the challenge of heavy multitasking, HD movies and gaming. Additionally, Asus' custom interface adds nice touches to the user experience — be it in the area of managing SIMs, changing audio output to suit your preferences, recording calls, etc.

Nokia XL 4G

As per the listing on the official Nokia China website, the Nokia XL 4G features a 5-inch WVGA (480x800 pixel) resolution LCD display with a pixel density of 187ppi. The handset runs on Nokia X software platform 1.1.
While the official Nokia China listing does not mention the processor, GSMArena states the Nokia XL 4G price of lenovo K900 black is powered by a Qualcomm MSM8926 Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz.
The Nokia XL 4G also features a 4GB inbuilt storage that can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. The handset houses a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. A 2000mAh battery backs the smartphone. The smartphone will be available in Black, Green, White and Yellow colour variants.
As we mentioned earlier, the Nokia XL 4G may very well be the last Microsoft-Nokia smartphone to run the AOSP-based Nokia X software platform before the company shifts the line to the Lumia brand that runs Windows Phone.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella had announced earlier this month (via an internal memo that was later publically released) that the company plans to "shift select Nokia X product designs to become Lumia products running Windows." He added the move built on Microsoft's success on the "affordable smartphone space" and aligned with the company's "focus on Windows Universal Apps."
He also mentioned that the team headed by Jo Harlow would take care of the firm's Lumia smartphones as well as the future transition of the Nokia X handsets to the Lumia platform.
"This team will be responsible for the success of our Lumia products, the transition of select future Nokia X products to Lumia and for the ongoing operation of the first phone business," Nadella had said in the memo.
Notably, on Monday, Microsoft released the Nokia X software platform 1.2 update for Nokia X devices. Some of the key features that the Nokia X software platform 1.2 update brings are the new app switcher, which allows closing apps with a single tap; pre-installed Outlook.com and OneNote price of lenovo K900 silver apps; updated Nokia Store that comes with better integration with third-party stores; new scrollable widgets; call reject with a message; contact search in the dialler; automatic uploading to OneDrive, and local calendar support.
Microsoft has introduced the Nokia XL 4G in China, a LTE-version of the previously launched Nokia XL smartphone. It may very well be the last Nokia X software platform smartphone following the announcement earlier this month by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella that the company would be discontinuing the lineup. The 4G-enabled handset also comes with some improved specifications over its 3G version, the Nokia XL.
The availability and pricing details of the Nokia XL 4G are yet to be disclosed by the firm. The firm also has not mentioned as to when or if the handset will be launched outside China.

Smartphone market sees stiffer competition

In China, Android's market share reached 84.3 percent, up from 69.9 percent, while both iOS and Windows Phone specs of lenovo S8 lost market share (dropping to 12.8 percent from 24.7 percent, and to 0.9 percent from 2.9 percent, respectively).
"Chinese consumers tend to switch brands far more often compared with other markets", adds Sunnebo. "The balance of power in the Chinese mobile sector can change incredibly quickly and the current momentum behind Xiaomi off the back of its latest product announcement, the Xiaomi Mi4, shows that the company's success isn't expected to slow down any time soon. Significant numbers of existing smartphone users are looking to switch to Xiaomi -- some 8 percent of Apple customers, 12 percent of Samsung customers and 13 percent of Nokia customers are all actively planning to switch to Xiaomi when they upgrade. This number is even higher for local brands such as Huawei and ZTE reinforcing its standing as the one to beat".
Android is also strong in Australia (68 percent market share, up from 64.8 percent) and Brazil (89 percent market share, up from 79.8 percent). In the former market, iOS ranks second with 25.5 percent (down from 27.4 percent), while Windows Phone comes in third (with 5.3 percent, up from 5.2 percet) and second (4.5 percent, down from 6.2 percent), respectively.
The competition is heating up in the smartphone space, as, in Q3 2014, a dozen vendors have what it takes to shake up the top five smartphone makers list, according to a new report from research firm IDC. Judging by the standing from Q2 2014, the likely players in danger of losing their spots are Huawei, Lenovo and LG.
Samsung and Apple continue to be in a position of strength, with the two being responsible for 25.2 percent (74.3 million) and 11.9 percent (35.1 million), respectively, of the 295.3 million smartphones shipped in the quarter that ended June 30. That said, both lost market share compared to Q2 2013, when they claimed 32.3 percent and 13 percent, respectively, thanks to shipments of 77.3 million and 31.2 million units, respectively.
Here is what else you need to know from the report. Samsung's Galaxy S5 shipments were in the millions of units, and Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S3 shipments remained strong despite the devices' age. Apple is stronger in BRIC markets, but consumers are waiting for the iPhone 6 to launch, with its bigger display. Huawei and Lenovo are growing outside of their home country, China. And, LG's new G3 looks to be a hit.
While IDC has yet to launch its report on the market share of smartphone operating systems, we have some information from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech regarding how Android, iOS and Windows Phone fare in Europe, US, China, Australia and Brazil.
In Europe, Android and Windows Phone grew in Q2 2014, compared to the same period of last year, reaching 74 percent and 8.8 percent, respectively (up from 72 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively). Apple's iPhones lost a bit of market share, dropping to 15.3 percent from 15.7 percent.
"Android continued to grow its share across Europe in the second quarter of this year, thanks to smaller manufacturers such as Wiko, Huawei and Alcatel OneTouch pushing the platform", says Kantar Worldpanel ComTech strategic insight direction Dominic Sunnebo. "Samsung still remains the dominant manufacturer of Android handsets with a 44.1 percent share across the five largest European markets. Meanwhile, Apple's share of the European market remains fairly static. Interestingly, in its largest EU market, Great Britain, sales of the iPhone 5c have surged to almost equal that of the iPhone 5s. The iPhone 5c continues to attract a different audience from the 5s, with its customers tending to be female, mid to late adopters and less affluent".
Meanwhile, in US, Android gained some market share (62 percent, up from 51.5 percent), while both iOS and Windows Phone dropped in market share (to 31.5 percent from 42.5 percent, and to 3.8 percent from 4 percent, respectively).
"In the USA, Samsung’s marketing power continues to play a key part in driving sales of the S5", says Sunnebo. "Some 61 percent of Galaxy S5 buyers recall seeing TV ads relating to the handset while 40 percent remember seeing online advertisements. Its brand resonance, coupled with Samsung’s strength in stores are coming together to help it challenge Apple’s dominance. Some 64 percent of consumers that were recommended a brand in-store were recommended Samsung".
IDC estimates that smartphone shipments will top 300 million units for the first time, in Q3 2014. Compared to Q1 2014 specs of lenovo S860 , in Q2 2014 shipments grew by 2.6 percent, which makes it a record quarter according to IDC. "A record second quarter proves that the smartphone market has plenty of opportunity and momentum", says IDC program director Ryan Reith. "Right now we have more than a dozen vendors that are capable of landing in the top 5 next quarter. A handful of these companies are currently operating in a single country, but no one should mistake that for complacency -- they all recognize the opportunity that lies outside their home turf".
So which vendors are likely to threaten the position of established competitors? "As the death of the feature phone approaches more rapidly than before, it is the Chinese vendors that are ready to usher emerging market consumers into smartphones", says IDC senior research manager Melissa Chau. "The offer of smartphones at a much better value than the top global players but with a stronger build quality and larger scale than local competitors gives these vendors a precarious competitive advantage".