Smartphone shipments in China fell sharply in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic slowed demand and interrupted supply chains, but interest in 5G models surged.

The latest data from the China Academy of Information and Communications (CAICT) showed the year's total shipments dropped 20.4% year-on-year to 295.7 million units, 55% of which were 5G models. The year also observed the debut of 218 new models.

Domestic brand phone shipments fell 23.5% to 269.6 million units, accounting for 87.5% of total shipments.