With interesting designs, superior pricing and an innovative marketing strategy, China-based smartphone vendor Xiaomi was able to become the top local brand in China in the first quarter of 2014, according to the recently published Digitimes Research China Smartphone Market and Industry Tracker report.

　　According to the Digitimes Research report, Xiaomi saw its quarterly shipment total surpass the 10 million mark for the first time, and the vendor only trailed international brands Samsung and Apple for smartphone shipments in the local China market.

　　While Xiaomi has targeted several market segments with its attractive designs, the company has significantly exceeded market expectations in the below-CNY1,000 low-cost segment with its flagship Redmi product. Xiaomi's sales have surged over the past few quarters, with its shipments outpacing other local players such as ZTE, Huawei, Coolpad, and Lenovo.

　　Xiaomi has also maintained a strong marketing buzz in the local smartphone market by focusing its sales through its online platform and only making the Redmi phone available certain days of the week, providing those who are able to purchase the device with a feeling of exclusivity, despite the low price of the model.

　　Digitimes Research expects Xiaomi to continue with its success in the second quarter with double digit shipment growth, though its quarterly growth rate will be much lower than it was in the previous two quarters.