China is the No.1 smartphone market by volume

China is now the world's biggest smartphone market by volume, having taken the crown from the US in Q3 according to Strategy Analytics.

Smartphone shipments in China grew 58% sequentially during the quarter to a record 23.9 million units compared to a 7% slump in US sales to 23.3 million units. The strong growth to operators' aggressive handset subsidy strategies, as well as the increasing availability of low-cost Android phones from ZTE and other Chinese brands.

Nokia is the leading smartphone vendor in China, having shipped 6.8 million units during the quarter. Samsung is second, with 4.2 million units. In the US, HTC leads the pack, while Apple is the chief contender.

China is in a pole position of the worldwide mobile computing boom. It has become a large and growing smartphone market that no hardware vendor, component maker or content developer can afford to ignore. Beyond being the largest smartphone market, the acceleration in adoption and growth in the use of mobile internet had made this an important media that most marketers must take note. A strategy on mobile is a MUST for any organizations moving forward.