In 2 years, 70 per cent smartphone users may switch to 5G: Industry executives
smartphone users expected to wield a 5G handset buoyed by falling prices and countrywide network coverage, industry executives said.
Top smartphone brands such as Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Realme and Samsung have set in motion plans to flood the India market with 5G smartphones at aggressive price-points.
Their partner retailers have unveiled a slew of price cuts and offers to quickly clear out 4G smartphone stocks to make way for the next-gen gizmos.
Industry body India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA) estimates the country’s installed base of 5G phones to jump more than two-fold to around 500 million by December 2025 from around 150 million in end-December 2023, and make up over 70% of the total smartphones base.
“The growth will be driven by consumers demanding faster connectivity options, coupled with a gradual decrease in 5G smartphone prices, especially with models above Rs 13K and those below Rs 10K becoming predominantly 5G-enabled,” Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman of ICEA, told ET.
Nationwide 5G rollouts by telcos and advent of companion devices and HD content too will help drive mass appetite for 5G smartphones, industry experts and handset market trackers said.
The signals are already there. Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Realme and Samsung have dropped prices of their older 4G handsets as well as the 5G devices launched earlier this year.
