China's Huawei ranked first in global applications of 5G-related patents, followed by Samsung Electronics, according to a report by German market research firm IPlytics.

Huawei is leading the pack with 3,325 patent applications, with Samsung to follow with 2,846 5G patent applications to global organizations.

South Korean tech giant LG Electronics Inc. came in third place with 2,463 patent applications, the report showed.

Other telecom equipment makers, including Nokia, China's ZTE and Sweden's Ericsson, were among the top 10 companies on the list.

Samsung has been ramping up its efforts in the 5G market as Huawei, the world's largest telecom equipment maker, has faced setbacks in the global market following the US ban on its equipment.

In August, Samsung announced it will invest 180 trillion won ($152 billion) over the next three years to promote its new growth engines.

The massive investment centers on building up its artificial intelligence, 5G network, bio and automotive operations.

Chinese companies have filed one-third of the world’s total 5G-related patent applications, a government-run People’s Daily newspaper reported last month, citing statistics from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology.