Qiku's Dazen handset reaches 5m units shipped in 2015

Smartphone firm Qiku Network Technologies (Shenzhen) Co Ltd said shipments of its Dazen mobile phones reached five million units in 2015, similar to the level in 2014.

The Shenzhen-based company unveiled a new smartphone, the Dazen Note 3 high-end version, in Beijing on Monday.

This newest model, created through a joint venture with NYSE-listed Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd and Coolpad Group Ltd, a major contract smartphone maker in China, has a fingerprint recognition function.

It offers a 3G random access memory (RAM) and 32 GB of storage space, and is equipped with a 360 operating system, where users can be protected against harmful viruses and Trojans. It is also available for three major telecom carriers.

The company launched a Dazen Note 3 Golden version in October, with a storage capacity reaching 16 GB.

Industry insiders said the launch of the Dazen Note 3 high-end version marks the smartphone, priced below 1,000 yuan, as having stepped into the stage of popularization with a large memory and fingerprint recognition.

Zhu Fanghao, president of Qiku Technology, said the company has finished the business integration of its two subordinate smartphone brands, including the Qiku and the Dazen. "We haven't set a sales goal in 2016. Qiku is positioned to be products with cutting-edge technology, aiming at high-end users, while Dazen is designed for the younger generation, tending to be full of vitality and passion," Zhu said, adding Dazen will focus on users' experience in the future.

Users can log onto social media platforms WeChat using two account numbers at the same time with Dazen.

Zhu added that Dazen mobile phones will concentrate on online sales channels, while Qiku will pay attention to both online and offline channels, as online sales only account for 25 percent of the total.

Furthermore, the company has overseas expansion plans in India, Southeast Asia and Europe. It launched Qiku Q Terra in India in 2015; it was priced at over 2,000 yuan.

The Dazen Note 3 high-end version will be sold officially through online shopping malls, including Qiku.com and JD.com from Friday, priced at 899 yuan.