Competition for higher price/performance ratios in China's smartphone space has continued to intensify and is likely to escalate into the mid-range to high-end segment, according to industry sources.
Huawei, ZTE, Coolpad and Lenovo have slowed down their development of high-end models, while focusing on models for the CNY799-999 (US$128-160) and CNY1,799-1,999 segments.
However, other brands including Meizu, Oppo and Vivo, have been targeting the CNY2,000 segment by rolling out models with higher hardware specifications and special futures, the sources noted.
Furthermore, two newcomers, OnePlus Tech and Smartisan Technology, are planning to launch mid-range to high-end models targeting the CNY2,500-3000 sector, indicated the sources.
OnePlus' first model, the OnePlus One, will sport a Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon 801 CPU, 5.5-inch IPS 1080p display, 13-megapixel camera with 3GB RAM and CyanogenMod custom ROM, while supporting LTE, said the sources.