The first-half 2021 shipments are expected to come to 650 million units while whole-year 2021 shipments are estimated to arrive at 1.32 billion units, up 6.4% from the prior year.
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.
According to Digitimes Research's observations, 2020 global tablet shipments will show flat growth from the 2019 level as the COVID-19 pandemic spurs explosive stay-at-home demand. With unfilled demand for tablets gradually satisfied and a high comparison base in 2020, tablet shipments in 2021 will decelerate and drop 10.5% on year.
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.
Second-quarter 2020 global tablet shipments amounted to 39.65 million units, surging 60.5% from a quarter ago and 21.4% from a year ago, outperforming expectation.
Smartphone shipments to the China market in second-quarter 2020 were doubled sequentially, as the coronavirus pandemic in China was eased, while the economy was benefited by the re-opening and new phones were being launched.
