Huawei said that its P8 family has recorded more than 16 million shipments, with the P8 lite version proving more popular than the full-fledged flagship.

The company said that more than 10 million P8 lite smartphones have shipped in the nine months following its launch. It is also said to be the first product from the company to see higher sales from global markets than from China, as the company looks to grow sales outside its home market.

It also said it had shipped more than 12 million smartphones in January, a 93 per cent increase from January 2015. This was the fourth consecutive month it moved more than 10 million smartphones.

Figures from Strategy Analytics put Huawei at a solid number three in the smartphone market, with the company showing strong growth as its rivals struggle. However, it still has some way to go if it wants to challenge Apple and Samsung at the top of the heap.