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| Smartphone sales in China decreased in 2020 |
Government data released on Monday showed that domestic smartphone sales in China fell 20.4% year-on-year in 2020.
The number of cell phones sold to consumers increased from 372 million in 2019 to 296 million.
The data from CAICT, a government-backed think-tank affiliated with the Chinese Institute of Information and Communication Technology, reflects the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the supply and demand chain, as well as the trend of consumers to keep their phones longer before switching to new phones they change.
According to the China Institute of Information and Communication Technology (CAICT), smartphone sales in 2019 decreased 4% year on year.
Cell phone sellers are heading to 2020 with the hope that this year consumers will achieve new sales by purchasing new cell phones compatible with the rapidly developing 5G network in China.
In the first half of the year, sales of the domestic brands Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo decreased significantly, while the leading Chinese brand Huawei continued to expand its market share.
In the second half of the year, Huawei's sales slowed due to effective trade restrictions imposed by Washington on Chinese companies and slashed supplies of key parts.
Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo have all increased production to gain that market share from Huawei.
Apple launched its first 5G smartphone on the market in China last fall.
Analysts remain optimistic about the device's adoption. The brand's loyal iPhone owners have already postponed updates and are now buying new phones.
According to the China Institute of Information and Communication Technology (CAICT), mobile phone manufacturers shipped 25.2 million smartphones to Chinese consumers in December, a decrease of 12.8 percent year on year.