The number of smartphones shipped here saw its sharpest decline last year, at 3.4 million units.
A reason for the 21 per cent drop is the lacklustre demand from tourists, as the latest smartphones are now launched in Singapore and other key markets in Asia at the same time.
But there is hope for stronger domestic demand this year, following the ending of 2G services earlier in the year.
In the first eight months of this year, consumers bought 1.4 million smartphones, 22 per cent more than in the same period last year.
