China-base smartphone vendors Transsion Holdings and Tinno Mobile Technology have achieved significant marketing success in Africa and France, respectively, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.

Transsion has marketed inexpensive smartphones under the brands Tecno, itel and Infinix through cooperation with Carlcare Service Center to provide after-sales services in Africa for several years, the sources said. Transsion's monthly smartphone shipments to Africa increased from five million units in the fourth quarter of 2014 to seven million units in the first quarter of 2015, the sources indicated.

Transsion has set up R&D centers in Shenzhen and Shanghai, China, and Paris, France, as well as factories in Shenzhen and Ethiopia, the sources said. Transsion is expected to see smartphone shipments rise from 50 million units in 2014 to 70 million in 2015, the sources indicated.

Tinno partnered with a France-based group to begin marketing smartphones under the brand Wiko in 2011 and became the third-largest vendor next to Samsung Electronics and Apple in 2013, the sources said. Tinno has extended Wiko smartphone marketing from France to Germany, Spain and other countries in Europe, the sources noted.

In addition to own-brand sales, Tinno has undertaken ODM production for regional smartphone vendors in emerging markets, including Micromax in India, BLU in Latin America, myphone in the Philippines, Qmobile in Pakistan and Explay in Russia, the sources indicated. Tinno shipped over 20 million smartphones in total in 2014 and is expected to ship 30 million units in 2015, the sources said.