5G Comprises Just 38% of New Handset Models Released in China in May 2022
CAICT, 6/20/22
A total of 20.81 mln mobile handsets were shipped in China in May 2022, down 9.4% YoY, but up 15.1% MoM, according to new figures released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), a department of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
Of total shipments in May, 17.74 mln, or 85.3%, were 5G handsets, 2.97 mln, or 14.3%, were 4G handsets, and the remaining 0.10 mln, or 0.5%, were 3G and 2G handsets.
In the 5-month period from Jan-May 2022, a total of 108.23 mln mobile handsets were shipped in China, down 27.1% YoY. Of this total, 86.21 mln, or 79.7%, were 5G handsets, 21.22 mln, or 19.6%, were 4G handsets, and the remaining 0.80 mln, or 0.7%, were 3G and 2G handsets.
A total of 16.60 mln handsets from domestic handset brands were shipped in China in May, down 14.0% YoY, but up 1.1% MoM, accounting for 79.8% of total handset shipments. Shipments of smartphones comprised 20.56 mln, down 9.1% YoY, but up 16.2% MoM, and accounting for 98.8% of total handsets shipped in China in May.
In the 5-month period from Jan-May 2022, 90.68 mln handsets from domestic handset brands were shipped in China, down 30.6% YoY, accounting for 83.8% of total handset shipments. During the same 5-month period, shipments of smartphones comprised 106.33 mln, or 98.2%, of total handsets shipped in China.
During the month of May, 24 new handset models were released in China, down 11.1% YoY and 40.0% MoM. Of the total new handset models released during the month, 9, or just 37.5%, were 5G models, and 15, or 62.5%, were 4G models; 23, or 95.8%, of the new handset models were from domestic brands, and 19, or 79.2%, were smartphone models.
In the 5-month period from Jan-May 2022, 167 new handset models were released in China, down 7.7% YoY; of this total, 87, or 52.1%, were 5G models, 79, or 47.3%, were 4G models, and 1, or 0.6%, was a 3G or 2G model. Of the total new handset models released from Jan-May 2022, 160, or 95.8%, were from domestic brands, and 140, or 83.8%, were smartphone models.
Editor's Note: CAICT's statistics cover domestically produced, domestically shipped handsets from both Chinese and foreign brands, but do not include imported handsets or exports of domestically produced units. Only handsets shipped through official channels are included, meaning grey market or knock-off handsets are not covered in CAICT's figures. "Shipped" means only that the manufacturer shipped the handset to a wholesaler or retailer, where it may or may not have been sold to a consumer during the month under discussion.
Keywords: handset smartphone wireless 4G MIIT 3G 5G CAICT handset model shipment volume national statistics domestic vendor