During the first quarter, the number of smartphone shipments to China doubled, overtaking the U.S. for the first time: China represented 22% of global shipments, compared to the U.S.’s 16%, according to a report by Canalys.

Samsung (005930KS), which dethroned Apple (AAPL) to become the world’s No. 1 smartphone maker, took the lead in China, with an estimated 22% market share, compared to Apple’s 19%, although both companies saw their volumes increase. Samsung’s “wide range of localized devices helped increase uptake across all carriers, and it combined this with significant marketing spend to drive consumer awareness,” according to the report. Nokia (NOK) was in third place.

Two-thirds of the of the smartphones shipped to China in the quarter were based on Google‘s (GOOG) Android platform, and the nation accounts for a quarter of all Android phone shipments.

Total shipments worldwide grew 45% year on year to 146 million units in the first quarter. However, shipments to the US rose just 5% year-over-year, compared to the 81% growth seen across the Asia Pacific region, which now accounts for half of the top ten smartphone countries in the world.