Global 5G Smartphone Shipments Surpass 2 Billion Units by 2023
Global cumulative shipments of 5G smartphones will exceed 2 billion units in the fourth quarter of 2023, led by Apple and Samsung, a new report released Friday showed.
According to Counterpoint Research, this was achieved in less than five years, which is the shortest time compared to previous technologies such as 4G or 3G. It took 4G smartphones six years to reach this mark.
“The affordability and accessibility of 5G smartphones has improved thanks to a narrowing of the price gap between 5G and 4G chipsets, as well as strategic component selection by OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to maintain bill-of-materials (BOM) costs,” the analysts said.
About 70 percent of all 5G shipments came from developed smartphone markets such as China, the United States and Western Europe. Apple and Samsung shipped a total of more than a billion units.
According to the report, smartphone brands have been heavily promoting 5G features and capabilities while differentiating their offerings in a highly competitive market.
The launch of the iPhone 12 series, the first 5G-enabled iPhones, significantly accelerated 5G adoption, with global 5G shipments surpassing 100 million units in a single quarter for the first time in the fourth quarter of 2020. The momentum continued and deliveries reached a new record in the last quarter of 2023, 200 million units in one quarter.
As analysts have explained, 5G smartphones are equipped with all the necessary elements to penetrate the low-cost segments of emerging markets. Therefore, emerging markets such as India and Southeast Asia will drive the next billion 5G smartphone shipments.
