Smartphone shifts: Xiaomi surpasses Samsung in China, Samsung takes Indonesia

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has surpassed Samsung to become the top-selling mainland phone brand, according to market researcher Canalys (as reported today by the Wall Street Journal).

Just last week, we carried the following detailed look at the unique selling approach Xiaomi has used to get to the top:

Xiaomi: Rewriting the rules of branding in China
By Chris Baker
Xiaomi’s pioneering flash-sales technique, called a 'snap-up', could reshape the entire product lifecycle in the smartphone category.

Meanwhile, Samsung is doing fine in many markets, including Indonesia, where it has stepped in to woo consumers who until recently were deeply involved with Blackberry. We published the following piece two days ago as part of our Indonesia Top 100 Brands Country Report:

Unseating the mobile king
By Henry Manampiring
Samsung has toppled Blackberry in a nation that once loved the former brand. Henry Manampiring, executive director of strategic planning for Leo Burnett Indonesia, discusses the role Samsung's communications played in hastening the change.