Oppo is becoming a force to reckon with in the smartphone market after overtaking Huawei and Apple as China's best-selling smartphone. Data provided by Counterpoint Technology Market Research have revealed that the smartphone maker now controls 22.9 percent of the market, an increase of 337% annually from June last year.

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Likewise, Oppo's smartphone sales in China increased by 16.8 percent year-on-year in June, according to Counterpoint. Huawei's market share, meanwhile, shrunk by 3.4 percent on a year-on-year basis, Forbes reported.

Oppo's success is credited to its offline market, which makes up for 70 percent of its Chinese sales in, Neil Shah of Counterpoint explained. The company employs an aggressive marketing strategy with a focus on offline retail penetration further than the usual tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Likewise, Oppo's "head-turning, innovative smartphone designs" has triggered the increase in the company's sales in the last 18 months.

The company significantly focused its R&D efforts "on industrial design and key features," particularly in developing their smartphone's "camera, battery technology, and materials." This, in turn, has provided a viable ROI for Oppo, enabling it to keep its lead against its rivals and capture more consumers, particularly those 25 years old and younger. 

Oppo is owned by BBK Electronics, which also owns Vivo, which also emerged as China's third largest smartphone maker in June, capturing 12 percent market share last month. While the two brands saw an increase in their sales, Apple's, Xiaomi's, and Samsung's market share shrank year-on-year to 4.2 percent, 8.3 percent, and 2.7 percent, respectively.

With the rise of Oppo and Vivo, as well as Apple's and Samsung's declining market share, Chinese smartphones now control a combined 84 percent of the market share in China. The market demand continues to increase, with a 17 percent annual growth recorded in June.   

TagsOppo, Huawei, vivo, Samsung, apple, Smartphone