I guess you either were not born yet or too young to own a phone 10 or so years ago
I guess either way, you have not ever heard of the Samsung m-100 mobile phone?
Back in 1996, you're right, Samsung was indeed an occupied with low-end mobile phone market, after 1998 tho, Samsung say it can be no more as they have made a wrong investment on CDMA market instead of GSM market, back then GSM were considered high end phone market, which the top of the range product is still selling today at the absolutely low end
In come M-100, what make M-100 great phone at all time is not the style nor its quality, but network service and innovation
http://m.gsmarena.com/samsung_m100-reviews-208.php
Back at 2000, when the most advanced phone you call on the market was a flip phone, then in come Samsung M-100 which was claim argubly as the world FIRST Inbuild MP-3 phone, where in trun it spawn the mobile giant at that time alike to Incorperated MP3 in their respective phone.
Also, it was one of the first phone that run dual channel GSM network, this is one of the best out there, 13 years ago, I choose this phone instead of the Nokia phone, and Motorola, which all selling for about 2000 HKD
To say Samsung is focusing on low end market 10 years ago is absurd and stupid, they were long a competitor for advance and sophicated phone maker in 2000, and of equal to less footing than the then 3 giants, Nokia, Erisson and Motorala, did you even know how Samsung get to the top on 2009 at quad band GSM market? It's because they are the first one to adopt android which killed off apple IOs and IOs in turn killed off the opera system using in phone like Nokia, SE back in 2007
So to answer your second question,
Its not Samsung make Android on top, it's Android make Samsung in top people think android, they will relate with Samsung, that is why Samsung is on top, and no Chinese phone could achieve that as long as they are using the google android, unless Chinese have make an OS whenever mentioned will immediate related to brand like Huawei or Lenovo. They can never surpass Samsung on anything.
See kid, it never because of the brand and the phone that being a certain company on top, it's the network and OS
CDMA got wiped out by GSM, GSM got wipe out by 2G, 2g got wiped out by 3G, and 3G have its own battle of android and IOs,phone company never matter.
Again you can go say mark my word this and that and China will become this and that, that does not mean it is true or it will be true, this is my final post here, dream all you want, without and facts and reference support, it's a waste of time talking to you