"This Year Smartphone Sales Grow 11%... 5G to Account for 35%"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] Global smartphone sales are expected to record double-digit growth this year. This is due to the recovery of suppressed smartphone replacement demand caused by the direct impact of COVID-19 and the continuous release of affordable entry-level 5G smartphones.

According to market research firm Gartner on the 3rd (local time), global smartphone sales this year are estimated to reach 1.54066 billion units, an 11.4% increase compared to last year (1.37872 billion units). Gartner stated, "Smartphone sales, which had declined by double digits last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are expected to rebound in 2021, approaching the 2019 level (1.53536 billion units)." Strong growth is expected in the Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, and Latin America regions.

The factors behind this smartphone market recovery include ▲improved consumer sentiment ▲smartphone replacement demand ▲launch of mid-to-low priced 5G smartphones ▲expansion of 5G network availability in major countries. IT specialist media PhoneArena, citing Gartner's report, said, "Demand for mid-range and premium smartphones is gradually recovering in most major regions," and "In Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, increased 5G demand will drive smartphone growth." In Europe and other regions, entry-level 5G smartphones priced under $200 are expected to perform well.

Gartner estimates that global 5G smartphone sales this year will reach 535.3 million units, more than double last year's 213.26 million units. This accounts for 35% of total smartphone sales.

Gartner noted, "5G has now become the standard for premium smartphones, especially in the United States, China, Korea, and Japan." Furthermore, with the continuous release of mid-to-low priced 5G smartphones following premium devices, it is expected to boost the momentum of 5G smartphones worldwide. In 2019, the first year of commercialization, only 16.71 million 5G smartphones were sold globally.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.