Available data shows that the Chinese smartphone market experienced a decline in shipments to peak at an estimated 369 million units in 2019. The figure is said to represent a 7% Year-on-Year decline when compared to the 2018’s figure. There are projections that the figure will drop even further to 330 million units this year. 
Despite the projected decline in phone shipments for this year, China Unicom is optimistic about its performance for this year. At an event held yesterday in China, the telecoms giant says it expects its channel sales will double to 110 million units, accounting for one-quarter of the phone that’ll be shipped in China this year.
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China Unicom equally announced at the event that it will take the promotion of independent sales capabilities as one of the measures to boost the industrial chain. It revealed that out of the expected 330 million phone shipments this year, 100-180 million units will be 5G-enabled models. On its part, China Unicom plans to sell between 33-60 million units of 5G mobile phones.
China Unicom, which happens to be the world’s fourth-largest mobile service provider by subscriber base, is said to have teamed up with 32 partners from the fields of chips, module terminals, application content, and chain channels to establish a 5G terminal innovation joint laboratory as well as a 5G terminal innovation joint R & D centre, and a 5G terminal application cooperative innovation centre in China. There are already projections that most of the world’s 5G phones sold in 2020 will be shipped in China.
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