As global carriers continue to build their 5G networks, the number of 5G handsets sold continue to rise. And with Apple releasing its first 5G enabled iPhone models, consumers worldwide are becoming more knowledgeable about the next generation of wireless connectivity. 5G download data speeds will eventually be up to 100 times the data speeds that users are able to receive using 4G LTE signals. Hi-res movies that take minutes to download will be completed in seconds. New industries will be created and 5G will help create an economic boom in those countries first to take advantage of the faster data speeds.
Samsung and Huawei dominate the list of manufacturers selling the most popular 5G handsets in September
5G is also a boon to smartphone manufacturers since consumers will have to purchase new phones to connect to a 5G network. According to Counterpoint Research, the most popular 5G phone during September (the last month that data has been released for) was the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G with 5% of the market. The handset is Samsung’s most advanced 5G enabled model this year with a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED display carrying a 1440 x 3088 resolution and a 19.3:9 aspect ratio. With a 120Hz refresh rate, scrolling and on-screen animation is buttery smooth as the display updates 120 times each second. The device is powered by the top Snapdragon chipset, the 865+, and features 12GB of memory and 128GB of storage. The rear camera array includes a 108MP primary camera (which uses 9:1 pixel binning to deliver sharper 12MP pictures with less noise), a 12MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, and a 12MP Ultrawide camera. There is a 10MP selfie snapper on the front of the unit and a 4500mAh battery keeps the lights on.
So that device was the top selling 5G smartphone worldwide during September. Second, with a 4.5% slice of the 5G handset pie, was the Huawei P40 Pro. The company’s “P” series focuses on photography (hence the name of the line). Huawei also captured the third and fifth top selling 5G phones in September with the Huawei nova 7 and the Huawei P40 with market shares of 4.3% and 3.8% respectively. Sandwiched in between the pair is the Samsung Galaxy S20+ which was responsible for four out of every 100 5G phones sold globally during the ninth month of 2020.
If you don’t include the Honor 30S, which was number 9 in the top ten with a 2.8% share of 5G phones sold in September, both Samsung and Huwaei had three devices each on the list. Huawei just agreed to sell the Honor line. Huawei took advantage of good sales in China where 5G had a 50% penetration during Q3. Speaking of China, two of the country’s up and coming phone manufacturers delivered the sixth and seventh most popular 5G phones during the month with the vivo Y70s (3.6% share) and the Oppo Reno 4 (3.1%).
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 was eighth with a market share of 2.9% and the Oppo A72 was 10th with a 2.7% market share. Since the Apple iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro were not released until October, We will have to wait until the next report to see whether those iPhone models cracked the top 10 last month. The smallest and largest iPhone 12 models, the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max, were both released this month so we won’t see how those two 5G handsets fared until the November list is disseminated.
With seven of the top 10 phones on the list produced by Chinese manufacturers, it isn’t a surprise that over 60% of the global 5G market is situated in China. And as pointed out by Counterpoint, 5G is no longer the province of only the rich. Oppo and vivo’s 5G budget phones were included on the list and Samsung’s Galaxy A series, while not represented in the top ten list, also has units with 5G connectivity. Lower priced chipsets with 5G capabilities from Qualcomm and Mediatek are making this possible.
