In recent years, China has become the world’s fastest growing market for smartphones. More than 500 million people use smartphones in mainland China and more than 390 million smartphones were manufactured in 2014, according to market analysis firm iResearch. Chinese mobile makers, including Xiaomi and Huawei, are leading the domestic market, with ambitions to occupy a larger market share by launching high-end smartphones with high-resolution screens, powerful batteries and lower price tags than Apple, which topped China's smartphone market during the first quarter of 2015.
SCMP staff reporters have examined this burgeoning market segment to find some of the most competitive smartphone makers. Their inclusion is based on functionality, design, price, and popularity with users.
Meitu M4
Best known for its popular photo editing app Meitu Xiuxiu, which has attracted more than 300 million users in mainland China, Meitu's first sortie into the smartphone market features a powerful camera which works with the built in beauty software to make photo subjects look younger and more attractive. The Android 4.4-based 32 gigabyte M4 retails for 2,199 yuan and comes equipped with 13 megapixel front and back cameras.
Nubia Z9
