Huawei Technologies Co has become the first Chinese handset vendor to ship more than 100 million smartphones annually, defying a market slowdown to challenge leaders such as Samsung Electronics Co and Apple Inc. [HONG KONG] Huawei Technologies Co has become the first Chinese handset vendor to ship more than 100 million smartphones annually, defying a market slowdown to challenge leaders such as Samsung Electronics Co and Apple Inc. The Shenzhen-based company said on Wednesday its smartphone shipments rose 44 per cent annually to 108 million in 2015, thanks to strong sales in China and Western Europe as it seeks to shed its budget supplier image to target higher-margin premium models.