New Nearly Five Million 5G Smartphones Expected to Ship in 2019: Report

Android smartphone makers are poised to launch 5G-based models in 2019, but the production volume is expected to reach only 5 million units, a report said on Wednesday. Major smartphone makers, such as Samsung Electronics Co. and Huawei, have actively invested in the development of 5G devices to take initiative in the market, according to industry tracker TrendForce, Yonhap news agency reported.

The penetration rate of 5G models, however, will only reach 0.4% since the construction of related infrastructure has not been fully completed, the report said. TrendForce said 5G base stations for commercial communication is not widespread with the infrastructure unlikely to be set up until 2022.

The report noted that a widespread 5G architecture is also necessary to make 5G smartphones more popular, and telecom providers need to deploy 5G networks at a faster pace.

Popular smartphone manufacturers such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, Samsung are already working on their 5G smartphones. Chinese brands Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo, are currently showcasing their 5G models of existing smartphones at the ongoing CES 2019 tech show. Huawei, on the other hand, is expected to launch Kirin 990 SoC with 5G support in H1 2019. OnePlus already confirmed that it would bring a 5G smartphone in collaboration with telecom operator EE in Europe. In India, the buzz in that the 5G spectrum auction will take place at the end of this year.