According to DIGITIMES Research's surveys and analyses, first-quarter 2022 smartphone shipments to the China market fell 26.5% from the prior year level, coming short of the 70-million-unit mark amid weak market demand.
According to DIGITIMES Research's statistics and analyses, China-based smartphone brands shipped a total of 170 million phones worldwide in first-quarter 2022, down 12.9% from the prior quarter with the China market experiencing worsening decline and overseas markets entering slow season and undergoing seasonal adjustment after the year-end shopping season.
Fourth-quarter 2021 smartphone shipments to the China market amounted to 80.5 million units. The volume represented a 9.5% increase from the prior quarter, driven by inventory preparation demand for the high season.
China-based smartphone brands shipped a total of 195 million phones in fourth-quarter 2021 as they aggressively ramped up shipments in the traditional high season in an attempt to make their whole-year target.
Third-quarter 2021 smartphone shipments by China-based vendors both home and abroad increased from the prior quarter level, amounting to 175 million units.
With COVID-19 becoming like the seasonal flu and having diminishing influence, Digitimes Research expects smartphone shipments to grow between 4-7% annually over the next five years, driven by smartphone users upgrading to 5G phones and feature phone users switching to low-cost smartphones in emerging markets.
First-quarter 2021 smartphone shipments to the China market amounted to 94.6 million units. The volume represented a growth of 9% quarter-over-quarter and an upsurge of 99.6% year-over-year due to a low base period in the corresponding period of 2020.
Fourth-quarter 2020 smartphone shipments to the China market amounted to 86.7 million units. The volume represented 19.3% growth quarter-over-quarter but 10.4% decline year-over-year.
Smartphone shipments to the China market in third-quarter 2020 plunged 25.2% on quarter and 26.2% on year due to the US government placing stricter trade sanctions on Huawei and consumer spending remaining weak.
Following three consecutive years of declines in 2018-2020, global smartphone shipments are expected to grow by a double-digit rate or 150 million units in 2021.
