A Xiaomi smartphone [File photo: sohu.com]

Four Chinese handset makers are said to be among the top five in India's smartphone market during the first quarter of 2017, according to a survey by Singapore-based industry research firm Canalys.

Xiaomi and Vivo are the second and third most popular respectively, while Lenovo moved up one spot to fourth place and Oppo now occupies the fifth position, the survey shows.

Samsung remains the most popular smartphone among buyers in India, with the South Korean smartphone maker shipping 6 million units for through the first-quarter, representing a 22-percent share.

Apple only ranks the 10th on the list due to its high price, the survey says.

Xiaomi shipped 4 million units in India, with a 14-percent market share during the first quarter, a 3-percent growth rate compared with the same period last year.

Canalys Research Analyst Ishan Dutt said Xiaomi's success in India lies in its online go-to-market strategy.

"[India's] demonetization seems to have had no impact on it, as its target customer is young, Internet-enabled and primarily buys online," Dutt said.

Vivo saw growth of 36 percent during the first three-months. It shipped nearly 3 million smartphones, representing a 10 percent market share.

Lenovo shipped 2.6 million smartphones for a 9 percent share of the Indian market.