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New Delhi, Hong Kong, Seoul, London, Beijing, San Diego, Buenos Aires – January 28, 2022
The global smartphone market grew for the first time since 2017, with annual shipments reaching 1.39 billion units in 2021, according to the latest research from Counterpoint Research’s Market Monitor service. Despite the 4% annual growth, however, annual shipments remained below the pre-pandemic level due to continued COVID-19 impacts as well as component shortages.
Commenting on the overall market dynamics, Senior Analyst, Harmeet Singh Walia said “the global smartphone recovery in 2021 followed a pandemic-hit 2020 and subsequent pent-up demand in regions like North America, Latin America and India. Growth in the US was driven largely by demand for Apple’s first 5G-enabled iPhone 12 series seeping through to the first quarter of 2021; demand which continued throughout the year ending on a strong Q4 thanks to Black Friday and holiday season promotions. India, too, had a good year due to higher replacement rates, better availability and more attractive financing options in mid-to high-tier phones. However, China, the world’s biggest smartphone market, continued to decline due to supply-side issues caused by the ongoing component shortages, as well as demand-side issues resulting from lengthening replacement cycles.”
Singh Walia added, “the market recovery could have been even better if not for the component shortages that impacted much of the second half of 2021. The major brands navigated the component shortages comparatively better and hence managed to grow by gaining share from long-tail brands.”
Other OEMs also had a notable 2021.
Motorola was the fastest-growing brand among the top 10 smartphone OEMs based on annual global shipments. It took advantage of LG’s exit in the US, where it gained share in the sub-$300 price band by offering a strong lineup of widely available devices. It also continued to perform strongly in Latin America while expanding in overseas markets (including a resurgence in Europe).
realme entered the top five android OEMs globally for the first time as its affordable 5G strategy started to pay off. It also did well in markets such as India where it had a record year. The brand continued to expand its presence in new markets such as LATAM, Europe and the Middle East and Africa.
HONOR managed to finish its first full year as an independent OEM with a ranking among the top ten smartphone OEMs globally, and is already among the top five OEMs in China where it benefitted from the reinstation of its relationship with its suppliers since its separation from Huawei.
Transsion Group continued to perform well in its key markets such as South Asia and the Middle East and Africa. TECNO did well in the entry-tier, while Infinix gained the most in the entry-to mid-tier segment, especially in the countries where it is currently expanding. Going forward, Transsion’s fundamentals are expected to remain solid, as it continues to hold significant clout in its home market of Africa.
Research Director Jan Stryjak concluded, “2021 was a tough year, with component shortages adding further pressure to a market battling with lingering COVID-19 issues. However, the world is slowly getting on top of the pandemic, despite the threat of a resurgence towards the end of last year, and with supply issues hopefully coming to an end towards the middle of this year, there is reason to be optimistic for good growth in 2022 as a whole.”
^Note: OPPO includes OnePlus since Q3 2021
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You can also visit our Data Section (updated quarterly) to view the smartphone market share for World, US, China and India.
Some of our latest regional smartphone market analyses:
Apple Reaches its Highest Ever Market Share in China
Background
Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media and telecom) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech
Analyst Contacts:
Tarun Pathak
Harmeet Singh Walia
Aman Chaudhary
Varun Mishra
Karn Chauhan
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