Hong Kong ( CNN ) -- He 's the 20-something blogger who created the iconic Steve Jobs action figure . He 's also the Hong Kong-based gadget fan who worked his supplier contacts in China to leak authentic components of the latest iPad before the official launch . And yet , despite his devotion to all things Apple , MIC Gadget 's Chris Chang says if it came down to just one device -- he would choose a Chinese-branded smartphone over the iPhone . `` I like spending less money to get a similar performance from the iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy series , '' says Chang . `` The China-branded smartphone is my choice . '' Chang shows me his preferred smartphone -- the roughly $ 400 OPPO Finder . The Android-powered phone is just 6.65 millimeters thin -- thinner than the iPhone 5 . That said , it 's not a 4G handset . But it 's enough for Chang and a growing number of discerning Chinese smartphone users . China is forecast to overtake the U.S. in smartphone shipments and become the world 's leading smartphone market this year , according to research group IDC . Break it down by marketshare and , according to IHS iSuppli Research , in the first half of 2012 , three of the top five smartphones sold in China are local Chinese brands : Lenovo , Coolpad and Huawei . All three individually outsell Apple 's iPhone in China . The mainland China smartphone market has been partly fueled by the demand for lower-cost handsets . In China , a 16GB iPhone 4S sells for RMB4,488 ( $ 712 ) . Traditionally , Huawei and Coolpad have been selling to the lower-end of the market , below RMB1000 ( $ 160 ) . But China 's Meizu , Xiaomi and OPPO are climbing up the value chain -- not so high as to angle for the top tier of the market with Apple and Samsung , but right in the middle . `` Meizu , OPPO and Xiaomi are poised to differentiate themselves as strong mid-range smartphones , like a sedan , '' says Josh Ong , China Editor of The Next Web . `` At RMB 1,999 ( $ 317 ) , the ( Xiaomi ) Mi-Two will be 'good enough ' for millions of consumers who are n't willing to spring for the more expensive devices . '' Meizu was formerly the coveted smartphone brand in China , but that mantle has passed on to Xiaomi which -- like Apple -- masterfully markets its technology like a lifestyle . Xiaomi is the smartphone cult hero in China with its intensely loyal fans who adore the company 's charismatic founder , Lei Jun , and the brand 's distinctive style . Bottom line -- in China today , it 's cool to have a Xiaomi phone . `` Watching a thousand Xiaomi fans give Lei and the new phone a standing ovation last month really drove home the company 's success at connecting with its customers , '' says Ong . So how can the rest of the world get their hands on a cult Chinese smartphone ? Well , you ca n't . They 're only available in China . Xiaomi may have an English language Twitter feed , but it did n't want to lend its Mi-Two phone for review to international audiences on CNN 's News Stream . ( We had to borrow the phone from Chris Chang . ) Meizu has an English language Website , but there 's no option provided to buy the phone . There is , however , a retail store outside the mainland ... in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong . The fan base for China 's sleekest smartphones will remain in China for now .
Analyst : China is set to surpass the U.S. this year as the top smartphone market . Comment: Lenovo , Coolpad and Huawei smartphones all outsell Apple 's iPhone in China . Xiaomi brand smartphone has become a cult favorite among Chinese tech geeks .