Samsung soared to the top of the Chinese smartphone market in 2012, according to a report by Strategy Analytics. 

Its the first time the Korean manufacturer has made its way to the top in China, and its all down to sales of Samsung handsets nearly tripling – from 10.9m in 2011, to 30m in 2012. It holds a 17.7 per cent market share in the country, up 5.3 percentage points from 2011.

On the flip side is Nokias fall from the top spot, which it held in 2011, down to seventh place. A year earlier, it held a 29.9 per cent market share, but that dropped to just 3.7 per cent in 2012.

While Samsungs position, at least, reflects the majority of Western countries, its worth noting that the smartphone landscape is slightly different in China. Taking second place isnt Apple – which took third, with an 11 per cent market share – but rather Lenovo, holding a 13.2 per cent market share.

The Chinese manufacturer hasnt made much impact on Western markets, at least not with its smartphone efforts, but local companies are big news in China, with Huawei (9.9 per cent) and Coolpad (9.7 per cent) filling out the top five.