(Yicai Global) Aug. 5 -- Just 37 months after it was founded, Chinese smartphone startup Realme had sold more than 100 million handsets at the end of June, making it the phone brand to achieve the milestone in the least time, according to a new research.

Shenzhen-based Realme’s global sales have been strongly driven by both China and India, consulting firm Strategy Analytics said in a report released today.

Its China sales surged 175 percent in the first half of this year compared with the second half of last year, making it the fastest-growing phone brand in the country, the report added, without disclosing specific sales figures.

To date, a total of 16 smartphone brands have shipped more than 100 million units worldwide, according to Strategy Analytics. Beijing-based Xiaomi took 41 months to hit the 100 million mark, while Apple took 44 months.

Realme has already set growth targets for the next phase, Sky Li, founder and chief executive, said on his Weibo account today. The firm aims to hike the total to 200 million by the end of next year and 300 million by the end of 2023.

A former vice president of Dongguan-based Oppo, Li set up Realme in May 2018. The aim of the brand was to create high-performance mobile phones for young users.

During his time at Oppo, Li was mainly in charge of expanding its overseas markets, which he did by growing the sales map from three nations to more than 30 markets worldwide.

Editor: Peter Thomas