Counterpoint Research, a market research institute, estimates that global smartphone sales are expected to grow by 7% in 2022 with Samsung Electronics continuing to lead. The sales volume of 5G smartphones is expected to surge by 40%, and its proportion should exceed 50%. Furthermore, it is predicted that the market share of three Mainland-based factories for folding smartphones will exceed 10% next year.

  According to another research firm, IDC, worldwide shipments of smartphones are expected to grow by 3% in 2022, of which 5G phones should account for more than half. Summarized reports from various research institutions have shown that the global market for mobile phones will gradually move towards recovery since the recession caused by the epidemic in 2020. Moreover, sales are expected to achieve positive growth for two consecutive years. However, the unstable supply of components continues and has, to a large extent, inhibited the momentum of recovery. At present, the top five smartphone brands are the same as 2021 - Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, OPPO and Vivo.

  Although the extent of smartphone shipments is no longer significantly growing, the penetration rate of 5G mobile phones is gradually increasing and should become the mainstream model in 2022. Since 5G mobile phones have driven the upgrade of specifications including the increase in both the amount of SiP/AiP used and the unit price of components, the synergetic effect of price and quantity has exerted a great impact on the output value. On the other hand, market shares of 5G mobile phones for Apple in 2022 are estimated to account for 30%, followed by Samsung. Mobile communication applications will account for about 33% of Taiwan PCB’s output value as the largest application market and an important supply chain for Apple. Therefore, the growth of 5G mobile phones is the key if the trillion-dollar scale of Taiwan's PCB industry can be sustained in the future.

  Foldable mobile phones do not appear to be a short-lived product. With Samsung’s strategy to continuously develop new products and lower prices, folding mobile phones have gradually been recognized by consumers. Other major manufacturers have also joined the battle. For instance, Honor and OPPO are going to launch their first folding phone in 2022 and there are market rumors iPhone’s folding mobile phone will be unveiled as soon as 2023. As forecast by IDC, global shipments of folding mobile phones will reach 4 million units in 2021, an increase of 106.6% from 1.9 million units in 2020. Moreover, it should reach 13.9 million units in 2025 with a compound annual growth rate of 48.1%. As folding mobile phones have gradually been received well by the market, it is expected to become a new niche market for rigid-flex boards.