5G Smartphone shipments to exceed 100 million by 2021
According to a latest research by Counterpoint, the 5G smartphone shipments are estimated to grow 255% by 2021, to reach nearly 110 million units. The research said that the growth will be slow during the initial commercialization phase in 2019. However, there will be an upsurge in sales once countries shift from 'non-standalone to standalone 5G infrastructure,' Counterpoint observed. Here's more on the findings.
Slow growth expected in the early commercial phase of 5G
"There are still forward looking 5G standards that are unconfirmed, creating uncertainty around product and service opportunities," said Research Director Tom Kang. "We also expect 5G chips to have a higher price point which will initially drive the cost of devices up," he added. 5G capable devices will initially come at a premium and only select countries will deploy 5G infrastructure.
China, US, South Korea, and Japan will be key markets
China, US, South Korea, and Japan will be the major markets for 5G infrastructure development and growth of smartphone sales. "We are seeing some great initial developments happening in the US, South Korea, China, and Japan and expect growth to be concentrated in these countries due to their big roll-out plans for 5G starting in 2019," said Research Analyst Maurice Klaehne.
In the 5G race, China leads US, South Korea: Study
According to a study, China is winning the 5G race. The study observed, "All major Chinese providers have committed to specific launch dates and the government has committed to minimum 100 MHz of mid-band spectrum and 2,000 MHz of high-band spectrum for each wireless provider."
Global handset market is expected to slowdown
Factoring market saturation, limited product innovations and slowing upgrade cycles, Counterpoint observes that overall global handset market is estimated to slow to a CAGR of 1-2% in the next five years. Research Director Peter Richardson said "overall transition to 5G could be slow and steady." "Once we establish better 5G business cases and infrastructure, the market will begin seeing higher sales overall," he added.
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