An analysis of nearly 40,000 global patent samples by SIPO’s Patent Examination Cooperation Center placed Samsung, LG, NEC, ZTE and Nokia as the top five smartphone patent applicants. ZTE ranked fourth worldwide and first among Chinese companies, with about 1,000 smartphone patents and substantial holdings in human–computer interaction and touch technologies.
ZTE held 1,019 smartphone patents, ahead of Huawei’s 576 in second place in China. ZTE, Yulong and Lenovo were particularly strong in human–computer interaction, while ZTE and Yulong held more patents in touch technology.
Long-term patent accumulation and technological innovation supported ZTE’s phone sales. In 2011, its phone business grew by 50% year on year, and global shipments of its smart devices exceeded 12 million, up 400%. Gartner’s latest report identified ZTE as the fastest-growing smartphone manufacturer after Apple and the world’s fourth largest by shipments in the last quarter of 2011.
Source: http://www.cnipr.com/news/gndt/201203/t20120319_142215.html