Is the 5G story cold? Global smartphone shipments fall by 8.8% in 2020

Recently, Digitimes, a well-known market research organization, released a report on global smartphone shipments in 2020. According to Digitimes, global smartphone shipments in 2020 will be only 1.24 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 8.8%. This is already the fourth consecutive year that global smartphone shipments have fallen since 2017.

Recently, Digitimes, a well-known market research organization, released a report on global smartphone shipments in 2020. According to Digitimes, global smartphone shipments in 2020 will be only 1.24 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 8.8%. This is already the fourth consecutive year that global smartphone shipments have fallen since 2017.

Of course, the slump of the smartphone market in 2020 is indeed related to the epidemic. Digitimes said that in the first quarter of 2020, when the epidemic is raging, global smartphone shipments have fallen by more than 20% year-on-year.

 

But on the other hand, with the maturity of 5G technology, we have not seen the sales of 5G mobile phones to the smartphone market. Digitimes data shows that global 5G mobile phone shipments in 2020 will only be around 280 million units, which is an increase of only 80 million units compared to 200 million units in 2019.

 

The reason for this problem is actually greatly related to the trend of the entire technology industry. Although smartphones have gradually become popular computing platforms since around 2010, the functions, content, and design of smartphones have reached the ceiling since 2017. Therefore, it is difficult to attract consumers' attention.

 

Under this declining trend, the only thing smart phone manufacturers can do, apart from laying out other outlets, seems to have to take food from their competitors. Digitimes data shows that in 2020, Apple and Xiaomi's shipments will both increase by about 10%, which is obviously inseparable from Apple and Xiaomi's machine-sea tactics and price war strategy.