ZTE said its handset shipments soared 40 percent in the first half of the year as the successful launch of several Android devices and a spike in China’s 3G usage drove sales.
The China-based infrastructure company shipped a total 28 million handsets worldwide in the first half of 2010, with international shipments increasing 30 percent year-over-year to 17 million.
The shipments included the launch of nearly 10 different Android devices, including the Racer, Link and X850 models for Hutchison 3G in the U.K., Bouygues Telecom in France, VIVO in Brazil and other markets. ZTE also deployed the Android-based X850 with China Unicom.
ZTE made a major breakthrough into the sought-after U.S. market with the launch of the Salute with Verizon Wireless in mid-August.
In Japan, the company collaborated with Softbank to introduce customized handsets for the elderly and a 3G monitor, which were key products in Softbank’s summer product launches.
China continued to be an important market for ZTE in the first half of the year, when ZTE shipped 11 million handsets to the country and saw its flagship U230 handset become a top seller at China Mobile.
Looking ahead, ZTE said it is working with Microsoft on Windows Phone 7 product development. Last fall, ZTE launched a Windows Mobile 6.5 device in Portugal and other countries.
The company has intensified its research and development efforts to target the high-end consumer market and plans to launch a full series of Android devices for the three major mobile phone standards.