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5G smartphone sales have overtaken 4G globally in January 2022, according to Counterpoint Research. Sales penetration of 5G smartphones reached 51% globally in January 2022, accounting for 51 percent of total smartphone sales globally and also exceeding that of 4G smartphones, for the first time.
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The report by Counterpoint Research shows that massive 5G sales were driven by cheaper Android 5G smartphones and Apple’s transition to 5G in October 2020 with its iPhone 12 Series.
“After Apple shifted to 5G in October 2020 with the iPhone 12 Series, North America and Western Europe saw a natural increase in the sales penetration of 5G smartphones. These regions are expected to continue contributing substantially to 5G sales globally, as even without offering competitive specs, there is an immense and ongoing demand for a 5G upgrade within the iOS user base. This demand is also fueled by iPhone users who are ready for new devices after years of holding on to their older iPhones. For many, holding periods are nearing four years, the average replacement cycle for iPhones,” states the report.
Increasing presence of lower cost 5G smartphones ranging from $250 to as low as $150 is helping to drive up 5G sales as availability of lower cost chips from MediaTek and Qualcomm is rapidly set to end the dominance of 4G across several markets majorly Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Latin America where affordability is fundamental. With lower 5G chips, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are flooding consumers with cheaper 5G devices, to remarkably fuel 5G adoption
China accounts for over 87 percent 5G penetration globally while North America and Western Europe reached 73% and 76% respectively. In India, 5G smartphones contributed over 16 percent of the total smartphone sales in 2021 and is expected to shoot up massively in 2022.
5G smartphones sales in developing markets in Africa and other parts of Latin America are expected to soar as 5G operators rollout services. Nigeria. Africa’s largest mobile market of more than 180 million subscribers, licensed 5G services last December. Operators are expected to rollout by Q2, 2022 to further increase the sales of 5G smartphones.
