Samsung shifts tactics, as local firms dial up pressure

South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd says it has "come back to the battlefield", and will take on China's rising brands with a new youth-oriented strategy, as it seeks to reclaim lost sales in the world's largest smartphone market.

Despite being the world's biggest smartphone maker, Samsung sales are close to negligible in China. According to Strategy Analytics, in the second quarter, Samsung sales made up less than 1 percent of the Chinese market.

The falls have forced Samsung to scale back its production in China. It is reportedly closing its factory in Tianjin after it ended production in Shenzhen, Guangdong province in April.