Sales of 5G smartphones surpassed 4G devices for the first time in January, accounting for 51 per cent of the global total with Apple contributing heavily to the increase, a new study from Counterpoint Research showed.
The surge in 5G adoption was mainly the result of Apple's launch of the iPhone 12 series – its first flagships to support the current standard for broadband cellular networks – in 2020, the report said.
China – the world's second-largest economy and most populous country – had the highest 5G penetration globally at 84 per cent in January, amid a push by local telecom operators and the readiness of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to market competitively-priced 5G smartphones to consumers, the study said.
"After Apple shifted to 5G in October 2020 with the iPhone 12 Series, North America and Western Europe saw a natural increase in the sales penetration of 5G smartphones. These regions are expected to continue contributing substantially to 5G sales globally," Counterpoint said.
The introduction of 5G was highly anticipated thanks to the speed it offers – up to 20 times compared with 4G – and the wide scope of use cases it can be leveraged with, including new-age technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and blockchain, which in turn can boost productivity in industries.
Consumer adoption took off in 2019 when South Korea's Samsung Electronics launched the Galaxy S10 5G, the first commercially-available smartphone that supported the standard.
The global 5G technology market was valued at $5.13 billion in 2020 and is expected to hit almost $798bn by 2030 at a compound annual rate of 65.8 per cent from 2021 to 2030, according to Allied Market Research.
5G technology, however, did hit a snag. In January, major international airlines were caught off guard by safety concerns triggered by a major C-band 5G wireless roll-out in the US, sending them scrambling to alter flight plans or cancel them altogether.
Potential 5G interference could affect altitude readings on some jets, the US Federal Aviation Administration said.
"5G promises to unleash higher speed for communications as well as an increasing number of cyber-physical systems connecting to each other in all aspects of our daily lives," Katell Thielemann, vice president analyst at research company Gartner, told The National.
"But it also comes with security and safety considerations that impact multiple stakeholders in multiple industries."
The Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Latin America regions are the next focus areas for OEMs to increase 5G penetration, Counterpoint's study said. 5G devices below $150 are the "sweet spot" for these regions, which are currently dominated by 4G.
5G promises to unleash higher speed for communications as well as an increasing number of cyber-physical systems connecting to each other in all aspects of our daily lives
Katell Thielemann,
vice president analyst at Gartner
The GSMA predicts that there will be two billion 5G connections by 2025, with adoption rates the highest in developed Asia-Pacific (64 per cent), North America (63 per cent), Greater China (52 per cent) and GCC Arab states (49 per cent).
Also by that year, 5G is forecast to have a 21 per cent share of mobile technology, which pales in comparison with the 57 per cent expected to be occupied by 4G, Statista data shows.
Meanwhile, lower semiconductor costs have also helped, with industry majors such as Qualcomm and MediaTek offering more affordable chips that in turn brought down the cost of 5G-capable mid-range smartphones, Counterpoint said.
The mid-to-high price segment, once at $250-$400, is now going down to the $150-$250 range, contributing one-fifth of 5G sales in January, it said.
In North America – where Apple holds a commanding 57 per cent market share – and Western Europe, 5G iPhone sales are expected to continue to increase because even without offering competitive specifications, there is an "immense and ongoing demand for a 5G upgrade within the iOS user base", Counterpoint said.
The demand is also being accelerated by iPhone users who are ready for new devices after years of holding on to their older iPhones. For most users, holding periods are pegged at four years, which is the average replacement cycle for iPhones.
In a separate report, Counterpoint said that China's Realme ended last year as the fastest-growing vendor of 5G devices, posting a 165 per cent surge in shipments during the fourth quarter of 2021.
Samsung, the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturer, was next with 109 per cent growth, followed by Xiaomi and Huawei's former sub-brand Honor (98 per cent), Vivo (55 per cent), Oppo (42 per cent) and Apple (30 per cent).
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
The specs: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Price, base: Dh198,300
Engine: 2.0L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 280hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
Other hobbies: football
Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
RESULTS
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
