Smartphone deluge: Chinese brands race to market in April but shun US

Last month saw the unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S10 and the Huawei P30. But April could see a new handset every four days as Chinese smartphone makers crank up the pressure in their intense battle for supremacy.

There might be seven new smartphones making an appearance in the next 30 days alone from Chinese manufacturers -- ramping up competition at a time when people in China aren’t buying as many smartphones as before. Just ask Apple.

To lure in new customers, sub-brands have become a popular tactic among Chinese smartphone makers. In the past year, three Chinese smartphone makers launched new sub-brands: Oppo launched Realme, Xiaomi spun out their budget Redmi line, and Vivo unveiled iQOO for premium handsets.

The first in line for the next launch is a brand called Hisense, a company known more for refrigerators than phones. That didn’t stop it from showing off the first smartphone with a 48-megapixel camera at CES this year. Some have noted, however, that the U30 was clearly an unfinished product.