5G Smartphone shipments continue to grow rapidly. The latest update to Strategy Analytics’ 5G Smartphones Country tracker for North America shows 5G smartphones account for nearly 8 in 10 of all smartphones shipped in the first half of 2022. North America is the global hotspot for 5G smartphones, as a share of total smartphones shipped.  In the next highest region, Western Europe, 5G smartphones as a share of total smartphones shipped is slightly more than 70%, while the Asia Pacific region, where the vast majority of global 5G smartphone shipments are taking place, stands at 60%.  Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and Africa and the Middle East round out the global regions, with AMEA at less than one in five.

For smartphone vendors, North America should be a hotspot of innovation around 5G devices. But just 11 vendors are offering devices in this market, compared to more than double that in Asia Pacific, and the two leading smartphone vendors have captured nearly nine in 10 of all 5G smartphones in North America, a percentage even greater than their overall smartphone share of the market.

The North American 5G smartphone market is ripe for disruption. But as of yet, not disruptor has emerged.

Clients of our Device Technologies (EDT) service can learn who is leading, and where, in 5G smartphones, by clicking the link here.