Counterpoint: Global 5G Sales Beat 4G Sales for First Time in January

18 MARCH 2022 - It’s been a long time coming, but it looks like 2022 will be the year for 5G. Counterpoint Research is out with monthly handset sales for January. By the firm’s reckoning, sales of 5G handsets beat sales of 4G for the first time that month. It was not a big beat. Sales of 5G handsets accounted for 51% of acquisitions, according to the report, squeaking past 4G’s 49%. 5G’s been rising though, 4G’s been falling, and all of that is expected to continue. 

According to the firm, “China, North America and Western Europe were the biggest drivers of this growth. China had the highest 5G penetration in the world at 84% in January.” That was thanks to wireless carriers pushing 5G in the middle kingdom, as well as a slew of locally made, competitively priced 5G smartphone offerings. Western Europe was second in terms of 5G penetration, coming it at 76%. North America was not far behind with 5G penetration of 73%. A lot of that was thanks to iPhone. The way Counterpoint sees it, iPhone accounted for 50% of smartphone sales in North America and 30% in Western Europe. “These regions are expected to continue contributing substantially to 5G sales globally,” says the firm:

…as even without offering competitive specs, there is an immense and ongoing demand for a 5G upgrade within the iOS user base. This demand is also fueled by iPhone users who are ready for new devices after years of holding on to their older iPhones. For many, holding periods are nearing four years, the average replacement cycle for iPhones.