5G smartphone sales accounted for 14% of total US sales in August, up from just 3% in January 2020, according to Counterpoint’s latest North America Channel Share Tracker research. And sales will likely spike even higher in quarter four when Apple launches its latest iPhone 12 line-up with 5G, adds the research group.
Despite the COVID-19 impact on both supply and demand, consumers have shown increased interest in 5G devices as they continue to move down price tiers.
“5G penetration was just around 1% in 2019. However, it has steadily increased this year as more OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] launched 5G devices. We expect more OEMs to launch 5G devices going forward as 5G chipsets continue moving down price tiers,” says Research Director Jeff Fieldhack. “Carriers want more of their subscriber base on 5G networks and are pushing OEMs to launch more affordable 5G smartphones. The biggest shift will come when Apple launches its newest iPhones in Q4. Apple has a market share of around 40% or higher in the US. When Apple begins selling 5G iPhones, this will sharply increase the market share of 5G devices on a monthly sell-through basis. Overall, we expect 5G smartphones to make up around 20% of total sales in 2020.”
