China's Huawei overtook Apple as the second most popular smartphone manufacturer in the world in global unit sales in June-July 2017, The Verge reported.

It is second only to Samsung, and an analysis by Counterpoint Research claims its surge in sales is due to consistent investment in research and development and manufacturing, as well as aggressive and creative marketing techniques.

However, the data shows that Huawei still has a weak presence in South Asian and North American markets which "limits Huawei's potential to the near-to-mid-term to take a sustainable second place position behind Samsung," according to Counterpoint Research.

The smartphone manufacturer is most popular in China, followed by Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, The Verge quoted Counterpoint Research as saying.

With the release of the new iPhone just around the corner, however, it is expected that Apple will reclaim the second spot on global sales rankings in September.