The global 5G smartphones sale rose to 51% in January 2022 crossing the global 4G smartphone sales for the very first time. This was recently reported by Global Monthly Handset Model Sales Tracker from Counterpoint Research. Here’s more about the stats discussed in CR’s report.
Global 5G smartphone sales surpass 4G sales
According to the report, 5G smartphone sales rose to 51% in January 2022 crossing the 4G smartphone barrier for the first time. Apparently, Western Europe, North America, and China are considered as the driving force behind the 5G smartphone sales push.
China is among the biggest markets for smartphones and it was certainly reflected in the report as the country saw a 5G penetration of 84% in January this year. Apart from that, OEMs and telecom operators in China made 5G smartphones available with competitive pricing thereby tapping into this market.
Talking about India, the 5G smartphone market contributed 16% of the total smartphone sales last year. This reported a slight incline over last year’s stats and in fact, the 5G market is expected to grow by 40% in 2022.
The rise of affordable 5G phones
One of the most prevalent factors towards the colossal growth of 5G phones is because of pricing. A 5G phone in India is available at as low as INR 20,000/- whereas there are a bunch of chipsets with INR 20,000 to INR 32,000/- whereas the bracket has decreased to INR 12,000 to INR 20,000 as more smartphones with 5G are popping up in this price range.
It’s not just India but even Latin America, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region that is seeing a significant increase in the 5G phones with sub-$150 being a sweetspot for affordable 5G phones. As the price of 5G chipsets has dropped, so are the price of smartphones housing the same.
