China Phonemakers Are Taking Over World’s Fastest-Growing Market

Chinese smartphone brands led by Vivo have muscled out local rivals in India with increasingly stylish yet affordable devices, challenging Samsung Electronics Co. for supremacy in the world’s fastest-growing major phone market.

Chinese labels occupied four of the top five spots in 2016’s final quarter, shoving aside Micromax and Intex, according to a Counterpoint Research report released Tuesday. Samsung held onto top spot but saw its share of nationwide sales slide to 24 percent from 29 percent in the same quarter a year ago. Vivo, Xiaomi, Lenovo/Motorola, Oppo and other Chinese vendors captured a collective 46 percent of the market, the research outfit estimates.