The rising tide of 5G: will all smartphone vendors be lifted?

Consumer and smart home devices are on a continuous innovation curve. For companies operating in this sector, including operators, understanding shifts in consumer behaviour and emerging trends is crucial to formulate successful business strategies. This report draws on findings from the GSMA Intelligence consumer survey to uncover insights that can help players in these ecosystems sharpen their competitive strategies and refine their product offerings.

This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on consumer devices, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and the implications. The report considers four major developments: innovation in smartphones spanning both emerging form factors and fundamental features; new advancements and innovations in XR hardware and OS; important developments in the handheld games console market; and major milestones in the smartphone eSIM market.

For industry players, the developments at CES have important implications for the road ahead. For operators, for example, this includes the area of network quality of service and the opening up of potential new revenue opportunities. To help navigate the key announcements, developments and implications from the show, this report focuses on four key areas of innovation: consumer devices, smart home, digital entertainment and automotive.