Lenovo has said that it aims to replace Samsung as China's top smartphone manufacturer.
The company's CEO Yang Yuanqing said in an interview with Xinhua News that the firm will utilize innovation and solid distribution operations to replace Samsung, which accounts for 15.21 percent of the market, as the leading smartphone maker in the region.
"Lenovo does not want to be the second player ... we want to be the best. Lenovo has the confidence to outperform Samsung and Apple, at least in the Chinese market."
Data from Analysys International shows that the PC manufacturer has experienced considerable growth in the country over the last year; it saw its market share increase to 14.2 percent during 2012's third quarter, representing an increase when compared to 4.8 percent in 2011. Lenovo launched 46 smartphones in China last year. Comparatively, Apple released one model of the iPhone.
IDC analysts said that the former has increased its market share due to "aggressive ramping-up and improvements in channel partnerships". Analysys International analyst Wang Ying added: "Lenovo possesses an obvious advantage over rivals in terms of sales channels."
The firm has spent $793.5 million in Wuhan in order to build a plant that can produce 30 to 40 million smartphones a year. Lenovo was the first to offer smartphones and tablets in mainland China and reported sales of $8.7 billion during 2012's fiscal second quarter.
