ZTE, a global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, today announced that it has shipped 28 million handsets globally in the first half of 2010, which represents a 40% increase year-on-year. This is attributed to the increasing market demands from international markets, as well as a spike in 3G usage in China and smartphone popularity worldwide, it says.
In the first half of 2010, ZTE had shipped 17 million handsets to the international markets (i.e. markets outside China), making up 60% of total shipments. This is an increase of 30% year-on-year. For the European market, ZTE recorded a year-on-year increase of 150%.
In the UK, the sales of ZTE handsets in Q2 2010 exceeded 1 million units, and the sales in France also exceeded 1 million in the first half of the year. ZTE partnered with top operators in Europe, with its custom-made Android smartphone handsets and WCDMA custom-made units.
In the first half of 2010, ZTE launched nearly 10 types of Android handsets, including the Racer, Link and X850 models which have been adopted by H3G in the UK, Bouygues Telecom in France, VIVO in Brazil and other markets. In China, the ZTE X850 phone became one of the major Android mobile devices offered by China Unicom.
As a partner of Microsoft, ZTE is working closely on Windows Phone 7.0 product development after the global launch of the WM6.5 handset last October in Portugal and other countries.