APPLE Inc. has shipped the most number of smartphones in China in the fourth quarter, overtaking Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and homegrown companies such as Xiaomi for the first time, according to data firm Canalys.

    Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launched last September have proved to be popular in Asia despite being costlier than most handsets.

    “The company is finally riding the large screen and LTE trends in China, which have been vital to its success,” Canalys analysts said.

    China is one of the most important markets for smartphone vendors. Most people here are still making the transition from regular phones to smartphones, making it a big battlefield for companies trying to snap up new users.

    Xiaomi, a four-year-old startup based in China, has been particularly interesting to watch over the last two years or so. Its phones are very popular in China, and, until now, it usually sold more units than Apple. Xiaomi makes really nice Android phones with high-end specs, but sells them for about half the price of other premium devices.

    But Xiaomi’s strategy hasn’t put a dent in the iPhone’s momentum in China, and the latest report from Canalys proves it. Instead, Xiaomi’s rise has been more damaging to Samsung, which is still the largest smartphone vendor in the world. Samsung’s profits continue to shrink as consumers choose cheaper Android devices like Xiaomi’s phones that are just as good, but cost about half as much.

    According to Canalys, Samsung is the third-largest smartphone vendor in China behind Apple and Xiaomi.

    Based on the success of the iPhone in China, it doesn’t seem to matter that it’s much more expensive than alternative Android phones. The iPhone offers a unique experience, and that seems to be worth the premium price to a lot of people in China.(SD-Agencies)