Global legitimate mobile phone sales will decline -2.1% annually in 2020. However, global 5G handset sales will grow +1,000% in 2020, despite coronavirus fears in Asia. The negative impacts of the coronavirus will be mostly concentrated in the 1st half of 2020 and handset production and sales will bounce back in the second half of 2020, positioning 2021 for robust growth in handset sales volumes, particularly for 5G smartphones.
When will handset sales top 2 billion? How quickly will 5G account for the majority of global handset sales? What can handset vendors do to drive faster replacement rates?