The number of smartphones reaching the ever burgeoning Chinese market reached record numbers as of the third quarter of 2011, according to the latest report issued on Wednesday by tech research firm Strategy Analytics.

The U.S.-based consultancy firm said that as expected by many, China took over the lucrative market's lead from erstwhile number one, America, with smartphone shipments of up to 24 million units hitting its market.

The new report, however, clarified too that in terms of smartphone revenue for all countries across the globe, the U.S market still bested that of China despite new handsets reaching its shores declining by seven percent to 23.3 million units by the end of September.

In contrast, smartphone vendors ramped up their marketing strategy in China as the country registered growth of 58 percent in the penultimate quarter of 2011 as compared to its achievement during the June quarter.

As expected, current big names in the smartphone industry - Apple, Nokia and Samsung - dominated the last quarter in terms of both shipments and actual handset sales in the world's second biggest economy.

Notwithstanding the market shares it lost during the previous years, Nokia proved that it is still the world leader in overall mobile phone sales and that status remains true in China as the Finnish firm gobbled 28 percent of the country's market.

Coming in second place, the Strategy Analytics report said, is Samsung, with the South Korean tech giant securing 18 percent of the market though the research findings underscored too that Samsung smartphones ruled the global stage, with Apple and Nokia inching not too far.

While iPhones have enjoyed considerable success and popularity among international buyers, including Chinese consumers, tech experts said that both Nokia and Samsung smartphones were making headways due to their tag prices that are more affordable.

Apple's grip on the market also suffered from the spirited efforts of other mobile phone makers to get a taste of the lucrative handset competition by releasing smartphones and tablet computers with relatively lower retail price, the study said.

All of which, according to Strategy Analytics, run on Android provided free by Google. And the market landscape appears headed to stiffer competition as Nokia starts its shift to Microsoft's Windows mobile platform that experts said should further heat up the market competition by next year.

As for the tablet computer competition, the report noted that Apple still enjoys enough lead from its closest rivals, with only Samsung offering the nearest from of competition via the firm's Galaxy Tabs but even that has been hampered by lawsuits thrown its way by the American company.