ZTE announced that it is aiming to ship over 80 million devices globally next year and that to establish a strong brand identity as against other leading rivals Samsung and Apple.
In an interview with Reuters on Monday, ZTE executive vice-president Zeng Xuezong said the company, which shipped about 40 million smartphones last year, is aiming to increase its global shipments to about 100 million in 2016.
“We will make more and more premium smartphones,” Zeng Xuezong said. “After our efforts in the past two years, I believe our brand awareness and approval rating from customers could rival those of Apple and Samsung in China.”
Zeng also said that the introduction of fourth-generation (4G) networks in the world’s biggest mobile market, China, will likely contribute to the demand for compatible handsets, so at least 60 percent or 48 million of the shipments for next year would be handsets compatible with fourth-generation (4G) communications networks.
Zeng said that the company is also working hard to make sure that the smartphone units are of the best quality as it wants to change the global perception that Chinese brands are inferior in quality.
“There is indeed a gap between the brand awareness of Chinese companies and those top global brands, and this is what our team is trying to build for consumers,” Zeng said.
Zeng also expects the company’s terminal device unit’s revenue, which sells smartphones and tablets, will grow more than 15 percent in 2014 from a year earlier and that the shipments of its premium smartphone Nubia, whose Z5 model currently retails for around 2,999 yuan [£286], will grow at least 300 percent this year compared to 2013.
Through massive marketing campaign, the Chinese smart phone manufacturer aims to increase its US market share from 6 percent last year to 10 percent in 2017.
