BEIJING -- The shipment of smartphones in China is expected to grow 6 percent year on year in 2021, according to an industrial report published by global market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC).

Though the country's smartphone market saw robust growth in the first quarter, especially in the first two months of the year, there is no obvious overall trend of upgrading phones among Chinese consumers, said the IDC.

The company projected that China's smartphone shipment volume would contract in the second quarter and in the second half of the year.

In terms of the global smartphone market, the company has raised its near-term outlook, forecasting that global smartphone shipments would expand 7.7 percent year-on-year to reach 1.38 billion units in 2021.

The growth trend will continue into 2022, said the IDC, adding that global smartphone shipments would total 1.43 billion units in 2022.