Digitimes Research says that shipments of 5G devices like smartphones, consumer premises equipment and Wi-Fi devices are unlikely to reach the one-million-unit mark until 2021, two years after initial shipments begin in 2019.
The firm went on to predict that in 2022, 97% of 5G device shipments will be made up of smartphones and 5G-enabled devices will account for 18% of global smartphone shipments.
Motorola’s Moto Z3 Play will receive 5G network capabilities by way of a Moto Mods add-on.
In the report, a Digitimes Research analyst wrote, “Operating at sub-6GHz environment on non-standalone networks, 5G smartphones still have to optimise their cost structures by modularising front-end RF components and running a SoC solution for 4G/5G baseband chips and application processors”.
Digitimes highlighted device size and power consumption as potential technological barriers to 5G smartphone production. Last week, Sprint announced that it is collaborating with LG on the first 5G-connected smartphone to come to the US, due for launch in the first half of 2019.
