BEIJING, Mar. 15 -- China could see 3G handset sales account for 12.65% of total handset sales in 2010 and 40% of total handset sales in 2013, according to a U.S.-based IT research firm, the Shanghai Daily reported last week.

Sales of 3G phones will reach 35 million units this year, and the number is expected to increase to almost 155 million in 2013, Gartner Inc said.

Chinese consumers need more time to accept 3G phones and 3G services, the company said.

3G sales took three to five years to reach 80% of total sales in Japan and South Korea. "We are going to see a similar pattern in China," said CK Liu, senior research analyst at Gartner.

Chinese carriers are expected to shift focus to 3G smartphones because sophisticated systems offer them a way to increase average revenue per user through value-added services such as search, navigation and music, the research firm said.

China's information technology regulator has said that the number of 3G users in China will increase to 60 million by the end of 2010 from the estimated 15 million at the end of 2009.