HANDSET producer Shenzhen Transsion Holdings Co., widely known as the “king of mobile phones in Africa,” with its affordable phones gaining a large market share in the African continent, muscled into the list of the world’s top five smartphone vendors in the second quarter of the year.

Transsion, which produces itel, Infinix and Tecno-branded phones, shipped 22.7 million units of smartphones globally from April to June to become the world’s fifth-largest vendor, according to data from market research firm Canalys.

Transsion’s phone shipments increased 22% year on year, signifying it was the only company that achieved double-digit annual growth and accounted for 9% of all the smartphones shipped worldwide in the second quarter, according to Canalys.

Canalys attributed Transsion’s growth to a boost from the African and other emerging markets, which facilitated the Shenzhen-based firm’s leap to the top five of the list for the first time.

Transsion rapidly captured the pent-up low-end demand in the Middle East and African markets, where the stabilizing foreign exchanges also supported channel partner confidence. Additionally, its expansion in Latin America in the past few quarters has allowed the vendor to capture low-end demand in some under-penetrated markets, Amber Liu, analyst at Canalys, said.

Meanwhile, Samsung shipped 53 million units to lead the global smartphone market in the second quarter, followed closely by Apple with 43 million shipments. China’s Xiaomi ranked third with 33.2 million units shipped and Oppo managed to stay in fourth place with 25.2 million units shipped.

Transsion, launched by Zhu Zhaojiang, a former sales manager at once-leading Bird Mobile, in 2013 in Shenzhen, set its sights on overseas markets from the very beginning.

The firm has accurately captured the needs of African consumers by introducing phones with features to solve numerous issues faced by African telecom operators.

It has also developed a selfie algorithm specifically designed for the African market, using teeth and eyes for positioning and exposure adjustments to create a “chocolate skin tone” that African consumers love. These thoughtful and considerate designs quickly won the hearts of African consumers. Ultimately, Transsion has firmly established itself as the “king of mobile phones in Africa.”

Currently, Transsion has three brands — itel, Tecno and Infinix — representing different price ranges from low to high-end. Transsion’s products have been sold over 70 countries and regions worldwide, forming a sales network that covers major emerging markets such as Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South America. (Yang Yunfei)