NINGBO Bird Co, which was once the No. 1 China-brand mobile phone maker, posted a loss of 19 million yuan (US$2.47 million) in the first quarter amid fierce competition from Nokia, Motorola and home-grown brands.

It is the Shanghai-listed firm's second loss in three quarters. From January to March, Ningbo Bird's net loss was 19 million yuan compared with a profit of 23 million yuan a year ago. Its revenue fell 51 percent to one billion yuan in the period.

Ningbo Bird predicted a first-half loss as Chinese manufacturers cut prices to compete with Nokia and Motorola. "The foreign-brand players launched the entry-level products to expand market share and new home-grown giants are expected to grow, such as Lenovo and Amoi," said Sandy Shen, a Gartner's analyst. Among home-grown players, Lenovo, with strong IT research ability and sales channels, ranks No. 1, followed by Amoi, with rich experience in the home-appliance industry, according to Shen. Ningbo Bird is the No. 3 home-grown player.

Source:佚名