China has become the world's largest smartphone market, new research from Strategy Analytics has been found.
In the third quarter, 14.9 million smartphones shipped in China, just edged out 23.3 million that hit store shelves in the United States during the same period, according to research firm. China smartphone shipments rose 58 percent during the second quarter of 2011. In the US, on the other hand, smartphone shipments fell 7 percent compared with the second quarter, Strategy Analytics said.
China has become a highly sought after market for smartphone makers a lot of late, including Apple. Although Apple is currently selling the iPhone in the country, it is trying desperately to bring the device to China Mobile, the country's largest operator with an estimated 639 million subscribers.
However, China Mobile has been heavily Apple. Earlier this month, Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu quoted industry sources as saying China Mobile will only agree to offer the iPhone to customers if Apple agreed to give a piece of the App Store revenue. Apple has ever made such an agreement with the carrier.
But that doesn't mean that Apple is not going to try something else. During the most recent company earnings call, Apple CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Tim Cook went so far as to say that China has now become the company's second-most-important behind the US, adding that the market is largely untapped that could have a profound impact on your bottom line.