Honor, the Chinese smartphone brand spun out of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, saw shipments soar in the latest quarter to become the country's third-ranked brand, said research firm Counterpoint Research,which tracks hardware.
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Honor sold 96% more phones in the quarter ending in September than in the corresponding period a year before, said Counterpoint, to grab a share of 15% of the market in China.
It now ranks after Vivo and Oppo, with shares of 23% and 20% of the market, respectively.
Honor originated as a sub-brand of Huawei that specialized in low-end and mid-range devices. This year, Huawei said it had sold the division to a consortium of buyers including the government of the southern boom town of Shenzhen.
The company has ramped up advertising and marketing in China since. In August it released its Magic 3 high-end line of phones that sells for as much as 7,999 yuan ($1,250).
Overall sales of smartphones for the quarter fell 9% on the ear, as demand stayed weak on ever-lengthening upgrade cycles.
Xiaomi Corp grew shipments 15% to attain a market share of 14%, putting it in fourth place. Apple Inc ranked slightly behind, with a 13% share of the market.
