According to a report by Counterpoint Research, worldwide 5G smartphone shipments are expected to cross the milestone of 1 billion units in the fourth quarter of 2023. And 5G smartphones took less than 5 years to reach this milestone, while 4G took six years to reach this milestone.
The report also stated that nearly 70 percent of all 5G phone shipments came from developed countries such as the United States, Western Europe and China. And, the top 5G smartphone brands are Samsung and Apple, who together have shipped nearly one billion units. That is, Apple and Samsung together exported more than 50 percent of smartphones in the global market.
Apple started selling 5G iPhones with their iPhone 12 series. And according to Counterpoint Research, the arrival of 5G-enabled iPhones has further accelerated market adoption of 5G devices. So maybe more than 200 million 5G smartphones were exported worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Counterpoint said emerging markets such as India and Southeast Asia will drive the pace of 5G smartphone shipments subsequently. Because, the sales of 5G phones have not yet started well in developing markets.
