In the first quarter of 2014, Samsung Electronics and Apple together continued to account for almost half of the global smartphone market with LG Electronics staying in third position, according to Digitimes Research.

　　China-based Xiaomi Technology posted the highest shipment growth rate and took the fourth title in the first quarter, driven by its efforts to roll out smartphones with high price/performance ratios. Coolpad captured the fifth vendor ranking due to its earlier deployment in the 4G sector.

　　Due to the marginalization of the BlackBerry platform, BlackBerry has seen its shipments continue to decline with BlackBerry 7-based models still accounting for the bulk of overall shipments, despite the roll-outs of BlackBerry 10 family products. While the vendor has launched a number of entry-level and mid-range smartphones for some designated markets, it is still difficult for BlackBerry to make a turnaround due to the low price/performance ratios of its devices, Digitimes Research commented.

　　Sony has continued to score, particularly in emerging markets, by highlighting its high-end models and the price advantages of its mid-range models. Digitimes Research believes Sony's smartphone shipments will grow significantly in the second quarter driven by its high-performance mid-range and flagship models.

　　Motorola Mobility may see its popularity gain a boost thanks to the release of its entry-level model, the Moto E, priced at US$129, which is comparable to the Xperia E1 and Nokia X in terms of price but is more competitive in terms of the price/performance ratio.