China's number of new activations of iOS and Android devices has surpassed that of the U.S., ranking China number one in the world in this respect and putting it on course to account for 24 percent of all global activations by the end of March, said mobile analytics company Flurry.

According to data provided by Flurry, China was ranked only 11th at the start of 2011, accounting for only 8 percent of global iOS and Android device activations. By contrast, the U.S. accounted for 28 percent of total activations in January last year, but currently accounts for only 21 percent.

According to industry insiders, the growth of China's smartphone market is unsurprising, considering the country's vast population and the fact that it is the first country to have more than one billion mobile phone users.

The Chinese market has also become a hot spot for smartphone producers, including Apple.

Market research and analysis firm IDC said in a report last week that China is expected to surpass the U.S. to become the world's largest smartphone market.

Contact the writer of this story at: yanp@china.org.cn.