The Financial Post reports in its Wednesday edition Alcatel OneTouch, a Chinese brand of low-cost handsets, has become the fifth-largest smart phone seller in North America, with a market share of 4 per cent. The Post's Christina Pellegrini writes Alcatel OneTouch shipped more than one million in the first quarter of 2014 and it has kept on growing since then. "Alcatel has its sights clearly set on ZTE," which sits in the fourth position with a 5-per-cent market share, says Ken Hyers at Strategy Analytics in Boston, who compiled the data. Both companies make devices with mid-tier features that have an entry-level price for the cost-conscious, capitalizing on a supply chain that has made components that were for premium devices last year more economical. Mr. Hyers attributes Alcatel OneTouch's growth in the United States to offering unlocked handsets that can connect to an array of wireless networks. There is a small but growing consumer segment that prefers not to be tethered to a specific carrier, whether at home or abroad. However, Alcatel OneTouch is faring poorly in Canada, where Telus, Bell Mobility and Videotron sell its devices. The phone retails for $349.95 at Bell and Videotron, and $360 at Telus.