China's Crowded Smartphone Market Heads for an Epic Shakeout
As the economy slows and saturation takes hold, half of 300-plus domestic brands may disappear.
China's Crowded Smartphone Market Heads for a Shakeout
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The startup Dakele looked pretty smart when it released a phone in China four years ago. The market was doubling annually, and the company put brand-name components inside a device that cost a fraction of the iPhone.
That $160 gadget went on sale just four months after Dakele opened its doors, and soon the company, which translates as "Big Cola," made inroads against Huawei Technologies Co. and Xiaomi Corp. Buzz was building for the Dakele 3 model last year, with online reviews calling it the best Apple Inc. clone.