Competition in Russia's smartphone market is heating up as a number of regional brands and China-based vendors are looking to expand their share in the entry-level to mid-range segment.

According to Mobile TeleSystems, sales of smartphones in Russia reached 19.65 million units in 2013, increasing 54% from a year earlier.

Smartphones accounted for 47% of total handsets sold in Russia in 2014, with the ratio likely to climb to 75% in 2014, according to an estimate by Euroset.

Regional brands including Fly and Explay are now among the top-five smartphone vendors in Russia, with Fly ranking second with an over 10% share, trailing after only Samsung Electronics and ahead of Nokia and Apple, according to industry sources.

China-based vendors including Lenovo, Huawei, and TCL (Alcatel) have also enhanced their presence in the Russia market, with each having a 2-4% share. However, shipment growth rates enjoyed by Lenovo and Alcatel have been more significant as compared to other vendors, noted the sources.

Although Sony Mobile Communications, LG and HTC each still have 5-7% shares in Russia's smartphone market, their market shares have begun to slide, with HTC suffering the most, said the sources.