Data released by Canalys shows that in the fourth quarter of 2021, smartphone shipments in The Chinese mainland reached 86.6 million units with a year-on-year growth rate of 3%, and the annual shipments exceeded 333 million units, up slightly 1% from the same period last year. Compared with the pre-epidemic market in 2019, the market still shrank by more than 10%.

Apple shipped 21.5 million iphones in the fourth quarter thanks to the release of the iPhone 13 series, Canalys reported, while OPPO (including OnePlus) shipped 14.3 million. Honor maintained its third-quarter position, shipping 14.2 million units in the fourth quarter. Xiaomi shipped 13.5 million units, ranking fourth. Vivo was affected by the shipping pace, with 13.4 million units shipped in fifth place.

Toby Zhu, an analyst at Canalys, said Apple's high shipments represent strong demand in China's high-end market, which is less affected by economic uncertainty. Apple's success will further accelerate android manufacturers' continued investment in the high-end market, providing more prominent features and experiences for domestic consumers.

Canalys forecasts that China will remain the world's largest premium market in 2022, accounting for 30 percent of global shipments of products over $500.