5G smartphones' market share rise even as service roll-out remains distant

While timing of 5G spectrum action is unclear, over 1 million 5G smartphones entered market in Sept quarter

The 5G telecom service may be a distant dream in India, but defying all past trends, 5G smartphones are increasingly becoming mainstream. As handset majors like Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus, among others, are aggressively refreshing their portfolios with 5G smartphones, the country’s telecom market is now anticipating a robust user base well before the roll-out of services.

Since early this year, all leading brands have begun rolling out 5G handsets, starting with the premium end of their portfolio. While Samsung entered the segment with Galaxy S20 Ultra, Xiaomi launched Mi 10, OnePlus moved to 5G with the Note 8.