Sarah Tew/CNET

Samsung was replaced by the iPhone maker as No. 1 in China's mobile sector this year, according to the China Brand Research Center's 2014 China Brand Power Index ranking report released Tuesday.

The Suwon, Korea-based company had previously held the top spot since 2012.

The China Brand Research Center calculated this year's rankings by polling 13,500 Chinese across 30 cities, aged 15 to 60, from August 2013 to January 2014, about brand awareness and loyalty.

The report said Samsung failed to secure its first-place mobile ranking due to a focus on market share leading to falling consumer loyalty. Samsung did rise 24.6 points from 2013 to 566.6 points, but it wasn't enough to beat its biggest mobile competitor, with Apple scoring 568.5 points in the mobile rankings.

"If companies (are) focusing too much on market share, while ignoring the concerns of consumers, it will cause a problem in brand management," the Research Center said.

Samsung maintained its first place in the colour TV sector for the fourth year since the China Brand Research Center started its colour TV rankings in 2011. The company secured first place for monitors for the third year running as well.

Samsung also ranked third in digital cameras, digital video cameras and laptops.

A Samsung spokesman declined to comment on the matter.