Start Your Own Smartphone Company for $1,000

Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg
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Walk through a metal gate, sidestep a pile of boxes, take an elevator to a floor of serviced offices and enter the latest battleground for Samsung Electronics Co.

In a small suite in Shenzhen, southeastern China, Cathy Chang is helping clients from around the world create their own smartphone brand. Choosing from a menu of options akin to ordering a pizza, Shenzhen Zuoer Technology Co.’s customers can get into the handset business for as little as $1,000. No experience needed.