ZTE, Chinese vendor, has disclosed that it sold 90 million terminal products globally in 2010, a 50 per cent increase over the previous year. Its fastest-growing market last year was Europe where year-on-year volume sales grew by 150 per cent. Volume sales growth in the US was 100 per cent in 2010. Terminal product sales include handsets, tablet PCs and datacards. ZTE did not breakout a figure for its handset sales. The company’s rapid rise in the handset market means it is on the cusp of entering the world’s top-five selling vendors. It forecasts that 2011 will build on the sales growth it showed in 2010, with global shipments of terminal products climbing 33 percent to 120 million units. Again, it does not breakout handset sales.
Outside of China, ZTE mentions Japan, France, the UK and US as major markets. In addition, the company references an iSuppli report which says it is the leading 3G handset vendor in China. ZTE said it secured “a record” 80 per cent, or 240,000, of the 300,000 Android 3G smartphones to be purchased by China Telecom, and the vendor also mentions “China Mobile’s bid for 6.15 million units of TD phones at the end of the year, where ZTE sold 1.575 million units to become No.1 among all its suppliers.” Globally, ZTE experienced strong demand for its Blade smartphone). “Demand was so strong that the product sold out by the first weekend after its launch in Germany, Greece and Hungary. Monthly sales unit volume continued to grow and was up by tens of thousands,” the company said. Looking forward, ZTE repeated its goal of becoming one of the top three handset vendors globally within the next five years, stating last year that it aims to enter the top five vendors within the shorter timeframe of three years. Some think it will achieve this goal much sooner. Research firm Strategy Analytics predicted last autumn ZTE had “a good chance” of entering in the top five in coming quarters. Of the top vendors, LG would be the likeliest loser from ZTE’s rise.