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

A strategic view of opportunities for vendors in new 5G launch markets

There have been a number of 5G launches in major markets worldwide in 2020, and more are expected later this year. Each new 5G launch presents growth opportunities for local operators, but also provides a unique chance for smartphone manufacturers to make new inroads, or to strengthen their market lead. As our survey data shows, operators are eager to make changes to their smartphone vendor rosters in 2020, with a substantial portion in some regions looking to drop some to make room for new ones. For handset vendors, 5G launches represent significant risks and significant opportunities.

This report and accompanying Excel file track upgrade intention among smartphone users with smartphones from the leading brands in seven 2020 launch markets: Canada, France, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Russia and Sweden. By exploring the current market landscape, we identify which smartphone manufacturers stand to gain the most from 2020’s 5G launches – and who finds themselves at risk. To better understand how vendors can increase their chances of success in these markets, for each brand we show the potential impact of releasing a new 5G handset on their customers' upgrade intention.