Samsung Electronics will begin marketing its latest flagship Galaxy S8 devices in the China market following a product event held in Beijing on May 18. But the Korea-based vendor may soon realize it is now difficult to recapture market share from China's first-tier smartphone vendors, according to sources from Taiwan's handset supply chain.

China-based Oppo, Vivo and Huawei have emerged as the top-three smartphone vendors in China, leveraging their models with high price-performance ratios and well-established retail chains, said the sources.

Shipments of smartphones in the China market reached 96.6 million units in the first quarter of 2017, decreasing 22.8% on quarter and 5.4% on year, according to data compiled by Digitimes Research.

The top-three vendors together accounted for a 51% share of China's smartphone market in the first quarter. Oppo took the top spot with an 18.7% share, followed by Vivo 17.1%, Huawei 15.2%, Apple 12.8% and Xiaomi Technology 7.3%.

Samsung took the seventh position with a 4.8% share in the first quarter, Digitimes Research noted.

Global shipments of the Galaxy S8 devices reportedly have reached over 10 million units so far, but it remains to be seen whether Samsung is able to ramp up its shipments of the Galaxy S8 in China, commented the sources.