China-based smartphone vendor Oppo will continue to contend with rival company Huawei for the number one position in China's smartphone market in 2017 as it has seen its sales momentum continue to strengthen recently, according to sources from the handset supply chain in Taiwan.

Oppo overtook Huawei for the first time to become the number one smartphone vendor in the China market in the third quarter of 2016, during which Oppo saw its smartphone shipments soar 106.1% on year to 20.1 million units, accounting for a 17.5% share, according to IDC.

During the same period, Huawei took the third position with its shipments edging up only 5.1% to 18 million units for a 15.7% share. Vivo, a sister brand of Oppo, ranked second and had its shipments grow 101.1% to 19.2 million units for a 16.7% share.

Oppo is expected to see its growth momentum continue in the fourth quarter, allowing it to continue to rank as the top smartphone vendor in China in the quarter, said the sources, adding that Oppo's total shipments are expected to reach over 100 million units in 2016.

Oppo has begun to strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa and aims to ship a total of 120-130 million smartphones in 2017, the sources noted.

In related news, Apple saw its smartphone shipments in China decline 34.1% on year to 8.2 million units in the third quarter of 2016, accounting for a 7.1% share, according to IDC data.