5G is gradually establishing itself in the landscape and in the hands of users. The demand for 5G smartphones remained very strong during the first three months of the year, and it is the iPhone 12 which is in the lead.
In the first quarter, 5G smartphone shipments grew by 6% compared to the same period of 2020. 136 million units were shipped worldwide, with strong demand in China, the United States and also in Europe, according to Strategy Analytics. And this is only expected to increase as 5G networks roll out, an area in which the old continent lags.
Strong growth at Samsung
In all, 5G model shipments are expected to reach 624 million units for the full year, analysts forecast. A figure that compares very favorably to the 269 million delivered throughout 2020. However, it should be noted that a heavyweight waited until the end of the year to launch its first 5G models: Apple of course, with the four versions of ‘iPhone 12.
During the first three months of the year, Apple therefore displays a global market share of 29.8%, with 40.4 million iPhone 12 delivered. Good numbers, but the devil is in the details: quarter over quarter, Apple’s shipping growth plunged 23% from the last quarter of 2020.
Meanwhile, manufacturers like OPPO and Vivo, second and third in the ranking, recorded an increase in deliveries in the green with growth of 55% and 62% respectively. Not to mention Samsung, which is also riding the 5G wave with a dizzying increase in its 5G device deliveries of 79%!
OPPO shipped 21.5 million 5G smartphones in the first quarter, compared to 19.4 million for Vivo and 17 million for Samsung. The Korean manufacturer enjoyed the strongest growth during this quarter, thanks to the performance of its Galaxy S21 5G, S21 Ultra 5G, and S21 + 5G. Not to mention the mid-range models which, from all manufacturers, are starting to integrate 5G at lower prices.
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