Total mobile phone shipments in China reached 110 million units in the second quarter of 2013, according to IDC. Shipments of smartphones, a subset of mobile phone shipments, totaled 86 million, growing 10% on a quarterly basis.

　　Substantial shipments of low-end smartphones at a unit price of less than CNY800 (US$131) that support China Mobile's 3G network contributed to the double-digit growth in the second quarter, according to Antonio Wang, associate director for Client System Research, IDC China.

　　Driven by subsidies offered by mobile operators and strong consumer demand for upgraded mobile phones, IDC forecasts that China's smartphone shipments will reach 360 million in 2013.

　　With the issuance of 4G licenses and the launch of Apple's new iPhones by China Mobile, IDC expects China's smartphone shipments to exceed 450 million in 2014, including 120 million smartphones supporting 4G functions and over 32 million units adopting China Mobile's TD-LTE air interface.