Surprise, Huawei had the third largest market share in the global smartphone industry in the fourth quarter. While the Chinese manufacturer trailed Samsung and Apple, it did unveil the Huawei Ascend P1 S, which has a 6.68mm thin design to be the thinnest smartphone made.

Huawei held a 4.9 percent marketshare based on unit shipments. This is much less than the 29 percent chunk held by Samsung and Apple’s 21.8 percent slice, but still placed Huawei ahead of Sony and ZTE.

Ramon Llamas, a research manager with IDC’s Mobile Phone team said:

“The fact that Huawei and ZTE now find themselves among the top 5 smartphone vendors marks a significant shift for the global market. Both companies have grown volumes by focusing on the mass market, but in recent quarters they have turned their attention toward higher-end devices. In addition, both companies have pushed the envelope in terms of industrial design with larger displays and smaller form factors, as well as innovative applications and experiences.”

Huawei’s mix of inexpensive smartphones for the mass market and its high-end Ascend-branded product line helped it gain market share, as well its unique hardware  design and software,  said IDC:

“Along the way, the company has demonstrated its innovative skills, having released the world’s thinnest (6.68 mm) smartphone last year, the Ascend P1, and this year it announced the upcoming Ascend Mate, the first smartphone with a 6.1-inch display. At the same time, Huawei has brought its own software innovations, including Magic Touch, Guiding Wizard, Smart Reading, and Floating Windows.”