5G has been dubbed as the next big thing in networking and, to its credit, why should it not be referred to as such. When 5G does see a global rollout, it will amount to great network speeds over large coverage areas, something that still plagues multiple parts of the world. But, do not forget the words ‘when it does see a global rollout’, since 5G as of now is a promise that is yet to deliver, at least in India. Smartphone manufacturers are playing on the gullibility of the users to make them purchase 5G devices which feature one 5G band that will probably be extinct or out of date by the time we see a proper rollout in the country. That does not seem to bother users however since they seem to be falling for the 5G hype. Reviewers and critics have been warning against this, since adding 5G hardware in devices, at least in 2021 in the context of India is like adding a rocket to the back of a Maruti Suzuki, since, it is a feature that will make the device faster, but the utility of the technology is far from being accessible. It seems however that when it comes to overall devices being shipped, 5G will play a key role, since, as per a prediction by the IDC, 5G phones with a decent rollout in the world will result in a triple-digit growth by the end of 2021.
What Does IDC Have To Say
The latest prediction from IDC in regards to smartphones paints a rather optimistic picture, with the data forecasting a total of 1.38 billion smartphone shipments for 2021 with an overall increase of 7.7% in comparison to 2020, with the numbers being the highest since 2015. The upward trend is supposedly going to continue in 2022, but with a growth of 3.8%. The IDC believes that the wide-scale deployment of 5G networks around the world paired with lowered costs of 5G phones will result in a triple-digit percentage jump in 5G phone shipments by the end of 2021. China is also expected to be the driving force behind this, with nearly half of all recorded 5G smartphone sales. The US is expected to play second fiddle with a 16% market share. In case you were wondering, the average selling price or ASP of 5G Android devices is predicted to dip to $456 which is a 12% decrease in comparison to the ASP in 2020, with a steeper decline to $400 by 2022 forecasted.
