The Chinese smartphone market has paced faster since 2011, reaching 460 million units in 2017, according to Taipei-based and government-backed IT research institute MIC (Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute).

"As of the third quarter of 2017, the accumulated 4G user base in China topped around 950 million with a penetration rate of 68%, indicating the adoption of 4G smartphones has become more widespread and the future growth will rely highly on replacement demand," says Aaron Lin, senior industry analyst at MIC.