Gartner: 3 of top 5 smartphone manufacturers are Chinese companies

Smartphone sales to end users increased 20.3 percent during Q3, while worldwide sales of mobile phones were flat, according to the Gartner research group. Samsung continues to lead the market, with 24.4 percent market share ahead of Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi and Lenovo.

Of note, three of the top five smartphone makers are Chinese companies, as Huawei, Xiaomi and Lenovo see increased sales - both in China and globally - as the smartphone market continues to intensify.

"Over the holidays we expect record sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but we should not underestimate the Chinese vendors and local brands," said Annette Zimmermann, Gartner research director, in a press statement. "Chinese players will continue to look at expanding in overseas emerging markets. In Europe prepaid country markets and attractive lost-cost LTE phones will also offer key opportunities for these brands."