In 2016, global smartphone shipments totaled 1.49 billion units, an increase of 4 percent from 2015, according to a recent report by market research institute IC Insights.

Apple and Samsung continued to dominate the smartphone market last year, but their combined shipment slipped from 555 million units in 2015 to 526 million in 2016, with market shares dropping four percentage points to 35 percent.

Chinese mainland companies took 10 spots among the world's top 14 smartphone suppliers, and of the top 10 smartphone companies, seven are based on the Chinese mainland.

Here is a list of the top 10 smartphone suppliers in the world.

No 10 TCL

Shipments: 39 million units

Change from 2015: Down 12 percent

Models pose with TCL phones at a promotional event in Yichang, Hubei province. [Photo/VCG]