5G Phone Shipments Estimated to Reach 199 Million in 2020 [Chart]

Shipments of 5G enabled phones are estimated to reach 199 million units in 2020, according to Strategy Analytics.

The company's latest research suggests that the coronavirus scare and global economic slowdown will limit the sale of 5G smartphones throughout the year.

The COVID-19 outbreak is currently restricting smartphone production in Asia, disrupting supply chains, and deterring consumers from visiting retail stores to buy new 5G devices in some parts of China. The first half of 2020 will be much weaker than expected for the 5G industry, but we expect a strong bounce-back in the second half of the year if the coronavirus spread is brought under control.


Despite this 5G smartphone shipments are expected to surge in 2020:

Global 5G smartphone shipments will grow more than tenfold from 19 million units in 2019 to 199 million in 2020. The 5G segment will be the fastest-growing part of the worldwide smartphone industry this year. Consumers want faster 5G smartphones to surf richer content, such as video or games. We forecast 5G penetration to rise from 1 percent of all smartphones shipped globally in 2019 to 15 percent of total in 2020.

The largest 5G smartphone markets will be China, United States, South Korea, Japan and Germany, accounting for 9 in 10 of all 5G smartphones sold worldwide. Other important regions, like India and Indonesia may not get mass-market 5G for at least another year or two.

Apple is expected to update the iPhone with 5G support via a Qualcomm modem later this year. It's also rumored to be working on a custom antenna that fits into the 'sleek industrial design' of the next generation device.


Check out the chart for more details and hit the link below for the full report.

Read More