New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS): Component shortages, price inflation and Covid uncertainty will continue to weigh on the smartphone market during the first half of 2022, a new report has shown.

The situation, however, may ease in the second half due to Covid vaccines, interest rate rises by central banks, and less supply disruption at factories, according to Strategy Analytics.

"We forecast global smartphone shipments to grow a mild 3 per cent (on-year) in full-year 2022. This year will be a tale of two halves," said Linda Sui, Senior Director at Strategy Analytics.

According to new research, global smartphone shipments fell 3 per cent YoY to 365 million units in Q4 2021.

Full-year smartphone shipments rose 5 per cent to 1.36 billion units in 2021.

Apple iPhone topped the global smartphone market with a healthy 22 per cent share in Q4 2021 while Samsung maintained first place with 20 per cent share in full year, said the report.

"Factory constraints and component shortages continued to restrict smartphone supply in the final quarter of last year,a said Sui.

Full-year smartphone shipments recovered from a sharp Covid-led decline of 8 per cent (YoY) during 2020.

"We estimate Apple shipped 80 million iPhones and topped the global smartphone market with a healthy 22 per cent share in Q4 2021. Demand was strong for the new iPhone 13 series in China and other markets," said Woody Oh, Director at Strategy Analytics.