Apple iPhone is number 5 in China with 8% of the market during Q1

With the Chinese smartphone market the largest in the world, and now more than triple the size of the U.S. market, it is important for Apple to continue picking up market share in the country. During the first quarter of 2013, the Cupertino based tech giant was able to move up a spot to fifth place with 8% of the Chinese smartphone market. According to research firm Canalys, the company earned an 8% slice of the pie thanks to the release of the Apple iPhone 5 and price cuts on older models.

Apple, which still does not have a deal worked out with the world's largest carrier, China Mobile, is looking up at its Korean rival in the country. With a 20% market share in China, Samsung is on top of the charts followed by Yulong Computer Telecommunication Scientific, Huawei, and Lenovo.

With 68% of smartphones shipped to the country from domestic manufacturers, Apple and Samsung are the only foreign smartphone producers to make the country's top ten in market share. China's growth in smartphone shipments has gone off the charts. During last year's first quarter the country and the U.S. were practically tied in the number of smartphone shipments to each country. In the first quarter of this year, 82 million smartphones were shipped to China compared to the 27 million that were sent to the U.S.

source: Computerworld via TUAW