Huawei have Samsung and Apple in their sights to become leading smartphone provider

Samsung and Apple should be afraid, very afraid, according to Huawei director Richard Yu, as the Chinese technology company aims to overtake the two biggest smartphone providers within the next 5 years.

Speaking at the Converge technology conference hosted by the Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong, Yu said their ambitions are big.

"We want to be the number-one smartphone maker in the world," said the company's consumer electronics business head.

We want to be the number-one smartphone maker in the world - Richard Yu

Huawei is one of the world's largest suppliers of telecom networking gear, and has been rapidly growing as a mobile phone producer. The gap between the Shenzhen based company and Samsung and Apple in terms of market share is narrowing day by day, with their percentage now resting at 8.3%, below 23% and 15% respectively. The figures were compiled by research firm Gartner Inc.

Mr. Yu attributes their growing success on a focus towards high-end markets, with the release of their latest smartphone, the P9, which features a dual-lens camera that was developed through coordination with Leica Camera AG, a German optics company.

The collaboration with Leica is expected to continue for the next five years at least, with the possibility of Huawei moving into new technologies such as virtual reality.

The United States has proven a difficult nut to crack for the Chinese company

While occupying firm market shares in both China and Europe, the United States has proven a difficult nut to crack for the Chinese company, after their telecom networking equipment was banned in the US after a congressional report cited security concerns over Beijing's ability to spy on Americans, allegations which Huawei have vehemently denied.

Richard Yu is unconcerned about how the report could affect their potential in the US, as he believes that "consumers only want to have better products."