Global 5G smartphone shipments surged to more than 24 million units in the first quarter of 2020, and demand in China was higher than expected, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics.
Global 5G smartphone shipments in the first quarter of this year significantly surpassed the number of 5G smartphones shipped in all of 2019 (18.7 million units), the report said.
Despite the Covid-19 epidemic, demand for 5G smartphones remains strong, especially in China. China is the leader in 5G smartphone demand, but demand is also growing in South Korea, the US and Europe.
In addition, in Q1 2020, Samsung's global 5G smartphone shipments reached 8.3 million, jumping into the lead.
Huawei came in second. Huawei 5G smartphones overwhelmingly ship in China, which is the smartphone market leader. vivo ranks third.
vivo's IQOO and X30 5G smartphones were the better-selling and affordable products in China this quarter.
In Q1 2020, of the top five 5G smartphone manufacturers, Chinese manufacturers accounted for 61% of shipments, most of which went to the Chinese market. This reflects the accelerated deployment of 5G networks by Chinese operators and the potential demand for 5G smartphones.