Smartphone shipments to the Taiwan market could hit a record low in May due to a spike of local COVID-19 infections, according to sources from local retail chains.

Sales of handsets in the Taiwan market totaled below 400,000 units in March and were estimated to have remained at a similar level in April amid weakening demand, said the sources.

Handset sales are likely to go down further in May due to a sudden rise in the number of domestically transmitted COVID-19 infections, said the sources.

Telecom operators, including Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET), have closed their retail counters in Taipei City and New Taipei City, both in northern Taiwan, which will undermine the overall handset shipments, the sources added.