According to the latest data from the market research company Counterpoint Research, Samsung took 74% of the market for 5G smartphones in the United States in 2019. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G was the best-selling 5G phone in the United States last year, ahead of the Galaxy S10 5G. The company revealed in January that it had shipped a total of 6.7 million 5G smartphones worldwide in 2019.
5G became a reality in 2019, but sales of 5G smartphones were below expectations. Counterpoint Research director Jeff Fieldhack says high prices for 5G phones, limited 5G coverage and compatibility issues have led to below normal sales.
Users also had little choice. Samsung was the only company to launch more than one 5G smartphone in the United States in 2019. LG and OnePlus were the other two companies to sell a 5G phone in the United States.
Counterpoint Research estimates that less than 2 million 5G compatible smartphones were sold in the United States in 2019. This represents less than one percent of the country’s total smartphone sales.
While Samsung is at the top of the ranking, its compatriot LG occupies the second place with a market share of 15%. The LG V50 was the only 5G compatible LG phone to be sold in the United States last year. OnePlus OnePlus 7 Pro 5G accounted for the remaining 11% of the market.
5G will experience significant growth in 2020
Counterpoint Research expects a significant increase in 5G smartphone sales in 2020. The company estimates that 5G smartphones will account for 25% of all smartphones sold in the United States this year.
Samsung is expected to continue to dominate the market. The new Galaxy S20, S20 Plus and S20 Ultra are all 5G compatible. The latter two support mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G.
Samsung is likely to launch at least three other premium 5G phones by the end of this year, namely Galaxy Fold 2, Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20+. The South Korean giant could also launch one or two mid-range 5G phones this year.
The estimated growth of 5G would also be boosted by the release of 5G iPhones as well as several low-cost 5G Android smartphones under $ 500 this year. US wireless operators are also rapidly expanding their 5G networks nationwide.
More recently, AT&T, the largest wireless service provider in the United States, has extended its sub-6 GHz 5G network to 22 new cities while switching the switch to its mmWave 5G Plus network in parts of 35 cities.
While 5G penetration will certainly increase this year, the coronavirus epidemic will likely affect growth.
Research firm IDC predicts a 2.3% year-on-year (YoY) drop in smartphone shipments this year due to the coronavirus. Sales in the first half of 2020 are expected to fall 10.6% year-on-year as supply shortages affect demand.