Taiwan's notebook shipments enjoyed better-than-expected growths in the fourth quarter of 2021, picking up over 10% sequentially, stronger than the 9% of the global average.

Taiwan-based manufacturers' revenues generated from server-related businesses including motherboards, complete systems as well as network communication and storage hardware and software are estimated to have grown 7.1% year-over-year to reach NT$1.65 trillion in 2021.

According to Digitimes Research's statistics and analyses, the 2021 global server market has a supply-demand gap as large cloud service operators step up orders to meet the pandemic-driven demand for cloud services, WFH and online services but the IC and component shortage disrupts shipment schedules.

Taiwan's PC monitor shipments increased sequentially as expected in the third quarter, but only went up 4.6%, smaller than the 6% forecasted in August as supply of some components was still tight.

This Asia tech industry summary will mainly focus on Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology (CAES), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), launching an universal battery swap solution, LG Energy Solution (LGES) heading toward a successful listing on the Korea Exchange, and Samsung Electronics unveiling its Exynos 2200 mobile processor.

The China-based top-4 smartphone brands - Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and Honor - together shipped 509 million phones in 2021, among which 5G ones represented about 50%.

Global smartphone shipments in the second half of 2021 did not see a growth momentum as in the first half and had experienced decline in both quarters of the period amid the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising concerns over a potential inflation.

This Asia tech industry summary will mainly focus on sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China increasing by 160% on year to reach 3.52 million units in 2021, Nidec's subsidiary setting up a new factory in China to increase its machine tool output for electric vehicles (EVs), and TSMC adjusting plans for its Baoshan R&D center to keep up with large orders from Intel.