Foreign brands dominate China handset market

Foreign mobile phone brands as Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson took a combined 70.7% share of China's mobile phone market, according to a recent government report cited by a Xinhua News report.

Xinhua News quoted the report from the CCID as saying that as foreign handsets have brand recognition among Chinese consumers, domestic handsets are facing a tough operating environment.

Lenovo lost its claim as the market leader, with a market share of only 1.7% in the first half year, it said.

But China-based ZTE became a new star, with its market share surging to 4.8%, the report said.