The global smartphone market ended 2021 on a mixed note. 4Q21 saw another year-over-year (YoY) shipment decline, however, the encouraging performance of the market in the first half of 2021 resulted in positive YoY growth on an annual basis compared to 2020. Shipments declined 6.6 percent YoY to 356.4 million units in 4Q 2021, compared to the 381.8 million units shipped in 4Q 2020 – according to the latest Omdia global smartphone shipment preliminary result.
In 2021, 1.34 billion smartphones shipped globally, up 3.4 percent from the 1.29 billion units in 2020. The first half of 2021 was impacted, positively, by the recovery of the market which had begun towards the end of 2020 when the first rounds of COVID-19 restrictions were eased globally. After four quarters, growth ended in 3Q21 in the smartphone market. On-going component supply constraints and COVID-19 continue to impact smartphone makers and consumers around the world.
Here is a brief rundown of the report –
- In terms of smartphone shipments, Samsung retains the top spot yet again, with a staggering 271.5 million units shipped in 2021 alone.
- The biggest jump, percentage-wise, in 2021 came from Realme. The company shipped 48.6 percent more smartphones in 2021 than in 2020, up from 39.1 million units to 58.1 million.
- Huawei saw shipments fall a staggering 81.6 percent, compared to 2020 – shipping 35.0 million units, down from 189.7 million units in 2020.
- When analyzing the market on a quarterly basis, Apple took the top spot, shipping 87.0 million units, up 2.9 percent YoY, compared to the 84.5 million units shipped in 4Q20.
- The big three Chinese OEMs, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo all saw YoY and QoQ declines in 4Q21.
- Motorola, in 8th place, increased shipments by 27.6 percent YoY, from 9.8 million units in 4Q20 to 12.5 million units this year.
Lack of components supply had a relatively greater impact on the production of low-end smartphones, leading to a decrease in shipments of these OEMs. This is still ongoing and is expected to exist as a risk factor for the smartphone market this year.
You can check out the detailed report and more insights on Omdia’s official website – www.omdia.com
Omdia is a leading research and advisory group focused on the technology industry. With clients operating in over 120 countries, Omdia provides market-critical data, analysis, advice, and custom consulting.
