Huawei will launch its first own-branded device in the UK this autumn as part of plans to bring "smartphones for all" and it has kicked off a recruitment drive in this country.

The company has appointed  Mark Mitchinson, a telecoms industry veteran, to spearhead the drive earlier this year and the first Huawei phone, the Blaze, is close to release.

Besides this the company is planning  to recruit more people for the launch. Currently there are 25 people working on the launch which is likely to go up significantly.

 The company currently has 25 people working on the launch in the UK and will beef that up by "50 to 60 per cent", according to Mr Mitchinson. The device unit currently makes up a small part of Huawei''s business, which in the UK has a total headcount of 500. It plans to double that total by 2015, and will recruit 1,500 sub-contractors.

"It is a necessary change for Huawei. We are one of the dominant players in infrastructure. How much more infrastructure can we build? We believe there is enough space in a very competitive space like the UK," Mr Mitchinson said.

Huawei is targeting the so-called feature phones market, which it estimates makes up about 60 per cent of UK mobile sales. Feature phones are low-end, limited handsets that are cheaper than smartphones.

The company also makes phones for other UK phone companies including Vodafone and Everything Everywhere, which owns T-Mobile and Orange. The Huawei Blaze, which will run the Android operating system and cost less than £100, will be the first of a series of phones and devices from Huawei, including tablets and media pads.

Huawei says it is targeting Britain because it is "the most established market in Europe".