Samsung Electronics ranked as the number one smartphone vendor in the Taiwan market in February with a 22% share, according to data compiled by local retail channels.

Sales of smartphones in the Taiwan market totaled 700,000-750,000 units in February, estimated the sources from the channels.

Samsung's Galaxy J7 was one of the best-selling models in February, while sales of the Galaxy Note 5 still remained strong, said the sources.

Apple ranked second with a 17% share in terms of sales volume in the month, and HTC followed with a 16% share, indicated the sources.

Powered by the recently released Galaxy S7 paired with the Gear VR, Samsung is expected to further ramp up its shipment volume in the local market in March, said the sources, adding that sales of the Galaxy S7 will also help boost the overall sentiment in the market.

LG Electronics is also expected to see its market share improve in March and the second quarter thanks to the release of its G5 modular phone. LG looks to ship 30,000 units of the G5 a month in the local market.

Meanwhile, Apple currently ranks as the top smartphone vendor in Taiwan in terms of sales value with an over 44% share. However, its ratio is expected to drop to below 40% in the second quarter as the 4-inch iPhone SE may not be popular in the local market, while consumers will tend to wait for the speculated iPhone 7 likely to be released in September, said the sources.