While it was not a good year for much of the global population, it was a good year for 5G despite some delays. China’s smartphone shipments continued to decline in 2020 but 5G smartphones were a standout and ended the year representing 47% of all smartphones shipped in China in 2020. As data for global 5G final sales has not yet been calculated we can’t provide 5G shipments globally, but we would assume on a percentage basis, they would be less than China’s 47% as most countries have not built out 5G services to the extent that China has.
As far as the global 5G ecosystem, the number of 5G devices grew 180.9% y/y encompassing 20 form factors, with 5G smartphone offerings as part of that device count growing 341.3% y/y. We also calculate the number of devices using either or both 5G bandwidth segments, sub6 and mmWave. Sub6, was by far the most popular band, not surprisingly, as the cost of providing coverage to carriers is considerably lower than that of mmWave, regardless of the fact that speed and bandwidth are lower for sub6. Sub6 devices grew 275.2% y/y while mmWave grew 71.2%, while those devices that were able to provide both bands grew 38.8%. As the cost of modems declines, we expect devices with dual band coverage to increase more rapidly.
2020 was really the first year of meaningful 5G sales, as only 63 5G smartphones were offered or announced in 2019 (24 were not released until 2020), so some comparisons will look a bit unusual, but the overall growth trends are the real focus and they continue to trend upward. That said, 5G globally is still in the early stages of roll-out and much of the potential bandwidth has yet to be allocated in many countries. We assembled the tables below to give some understanding as to where those auctions, assignments, and trials are in a number of countries, and while there is considerable nuance to each category and country, it should give a visual reference as to how 5G has and is expected to be rolled out globally. Again we note that there are ‘bands within bands’ that can make a difference to performance, and in many countries there are still many conflicts over potential assignments, so much will change over time. We view this as a snapshot taken around the end of 2020 rather than a hard and fast timeline.
As far as the global 5G ecosystem, the number of 5G devices grew 180.9% y/y encompassing 20 form factors, with 5G smartphone offerings as part of that device count growing 341.3% y/y. We also calculate the number of devices using either or both 5G bandwidth segments, sub6 and mmWave. Sub6, was by far the most popular band, not surprisingly, as the cost of providing coverage to carriers is considerably lower than that of mmWave, regardless of the fact that speed and bandwidth are lower for sub6. Sub6 devices grew 275.2% y/y while mmWave grew 71.2%, while those devices that were able to provide both bands grew 38.8%. As the cost of modems declines, we expect devices with dual band coverage to increase more rapidly.
2020 was really the first year of meaningful 5G sales, as only 63 5G smartphones were offered or announced in 2019 (24 were not released until 2020), so some comparisons will look a bit unusual, but the overall growth trends are the real focus and they continue to trend upward. That said, 5G globally is still in the early stages of roll-out and much of the potential bandwidth has yet to be allocated in many countries. We assembled the tables below to give some understanding as to where those auctions, assignments, and trials are in a number of countries, and while there is considerable nuance to each category and country, it should give a visual reference as to how 5G has and is expected to be rolled out globally. Again we note that there are ‘bands within bands’ that can make a difference to performance, and in many countries there are still many conflicts over potential assignments, so much will change over time. We view this as a snapshot taken around the end of 2020 rather than a hard and fast timeline.
5G Ecosystem - Primary Indicators - Source: SCMR LLC, GSA.com
Selected 5G Devices - Device Offerings - Source: SCMR LLC, GMSA
5G Frequency Band Device Share - Source: SCMR LLC, GSA
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