Almost 1 in 10 phones to pack 5G by 2021 – Gartner

Gartner has revealed a number of device-related statistics for 2018, but it’s also delivered some 5G-related insights in the process.

The company predicts that next year will see the first 5G smartphones hitting the market — don’t expect a fast uptake immediately though.

“We predict that, by 2021, nine percent of smartphones sold will support 5G,” said Gartner research director Roberta Cozza in an emailed press release. “Overall, 5G will be a significant driver of video and streaming services, as it will bring faster uplinks and support new AI applications.”

By comparison, US chipmaker Qualcomm expects 5G launches to occur as soon as the first half of 2019, with “mass adoption” in 2020.

Read more: 5G in South Africa – here’s what you should expect from networks

As for 2018 shipments, Gartner expects mobile phone shipments to increase by 2.6%, equivalent to 1.9 billion units.

“In 2018, smartphone sales will grow by 6.2%, to represent 87 percent of mobile phone sales,” the analytics firm explains, predicting Apple to do better than the market average. What about trends for the year? Gartner expects on-device AI, virtual assistants and biometrics to be key features in 2018.

The analytics firm also looked at the larger device market, noting that device shipments in general are set to grow by 2.1% in 2018. This was driven by smartphones and “premium ultramobile” Apple and Microsoft-powered devices.