ZTE proves that cheaper Chinese smartphones with top-quality features can go far in the US, where it now ranks as No 4 vendor

ZTE, one of China's top telecoms equipment makers, has become the No 4 smartphone vendor in the United States with a 7.7 per cent share, according to the latest data from Strategy Analytics.
The Shenzhen-headquartered company, known for its Nubia 5S Mini LTE, Lever LTE and other popular models, saw its smartphone shipments to the US jump 41 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, the figures showed.
It now follows Apple, which is expected to unveil its latest iPhone on Wednesday, Samsung and LG in that market.
In the April-to-June period, ZTE saw its overall shipments to the US grow by a whopping 60 per cent, while the total number of handsets it shipped there climbed 53 per cent, according to the data.
The company also maintained its position as the second-largest manufacturer in the US market for prepaid phones, ITG Research reported.
With Apple removed from the equation, it claimed a 12.6 per cent share of the US market for Android phones.