In emerging markets in Africa and South Asia, Transsion—not Apple or Samsung—is the smartphone manufacturer to beat. The Shenzhen, China-based smartphone manufacturer and its brands Tecno, Infinix, and iTel, account for almost half of Africa's smartphone market. The company doesn't even sell its lineup of budget and mid-range devices in China.
But Transsion is now in legal hot water, as major device manufacturers accuse the phonemaker of infringing their patents. Qualcomm, the U.S.-based chip designer, is the latest to target Transsion, suing the Chinese company in India last week, according to a filing in the Delhi high court. Transsion is trying to muscle into the Indian market after finding success in neighboring Pakistan and Bangladesh.
