A continuation and worsening of the chip shortage will continue throughout 2022, considered by most industry experts as the critical chip shortage year.
Realme clinched the top spot for the fourth consecutive quarter, accounting for 20.6% of the smartphone market and growing by 7.9% QoQ, driven by the C-series that accounted for more than 70% of its total shipments.
The growth in 2021 can largely be attributed to Samsung's recent success, as the Korean giant made waves in the market thanks to its newest foldable flagships.
According to a recent study from analyst firm ABI Research, the number of wearables shipped worldwide in 2020 increased to 259.63 million, with sports, fitness, and wellness trackers accounting for 112.15 million and smartwatches 74.30 million.
For the full year 2021, total tablet shipments were up 3.2% year over year and reached 168.8 million units, the market's highest level since 2016. Meanwhile, Chromebook shipments declined 63.6% year over year in 4Q21, but managed to grow 13.5% for the full year.
After five consecutive quarters of year-over-year shipment growth, the global PC monitor market hit an inflection point in the third quarter of 2021 (3Q21), registering the first year-over-year decline in shipments since global lockdowns began in the first quarter of 2020 (1Q20), according to research firm IDC.
Despite persistent supply chain disruptions, unemployment, and an uneven economic recovery, consumer demand remained high for smart home devices like smart TVs, smart speakers, and other devices.
