GSMA Intelligence: US and European Consumers Cautious on Move to 5G Devices, China and Korea Set to Lead Early Adoption
7.1.2020 20:00:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
The smartphone will remain the dominant consumer device into the new decade, but the arrival of 5G will not guarantee a surge in device upgrades, according to new GSMA Intelligence research. A new report, The Future of Devices, published at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020 in Las Vegas today, provides a wealth of insight on consumer technology adoption trends over the coming years, including the outlook for smartphones, smart speakers, wearables and other emerging categories.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200107005796/en/
When do you plan to upgrade to 5G? (Graphic: Business Wire)
Based on the results of GSMA Intelligence’s 2019 Consumer Survey, the report found that smartphone ownership among adults in most high- and middle-income countries is at 85-95 per cent. However, only 30-40 per cent of survey respondents in significant markets such as the US, Europe and Australia said the arrival of 5G is likely to result in a smartphone upgrade in the short term. By contrast, markets such as China and South Korea will be early adopters; nearly 50 per cent of Chinese consumers say they will buy a 5G phone as soon as they are available.
“The device ecosystem will be critical in shaping the trajectory of 5G adoption,” said Peter Jarich, Head of GSMA Intelligence. “However, it’s a mistake to believe that consumers in every market will look at 5G upgrades in the same way. Operators and device manufacturers will need to understand consumer demand on a granular level if they hope to make the most of the 5G opportunity.”
5G
Mixed picture for smart home and wearables
Fragmentation and a lack of compatibility between manufacturers hamper the adoption of smart home devices. However, this segment is being boosted by the growing popularity of smart speakers, such as Amazon’s Echo devices, which are increasingly acting as a single control point within the home. Smart speakers were the fastest moving category in the 2019 survey, now owned by 21 per cent of households, up ten percentage points over the previous year. Speakers have become a key battleground in the broader development of AI. Amazon and Google are furthest ahead, but both face the challenge of getting customers to go beyond basic functionality to higher-value tasks such as purchasing goods.
Meanwhile, the adoption rates for fitness trackers and smartwatches also picked up in 2019, and are now owned by 21 per cent and 10 per cent of adults, respectively. Millennials show the most substantial ownership rates of these devices, being more tech-savvy than older generations and also benefitting from an employer or insurance-based subsidies. However, the report notes that connected health devices continue to be sorely underrepresented among older populations. Missing older people is a missed opportunity for tech companies and governments, given that such devices can facilitate remote monitoring for a range of conditions, reducing the volume of in-person consultations and the strain on national healthcare systems.
The 2020 edition of The Future of Devices report is available to accredited members of the press on request. This report is based on GSMA Intelligence’s 2019 Consumer Survey, which surveyed 38,000 respondents across 36 key markets, using a blend of online and face-to-face sampling methodologies.
GSMA Intelligence @ #CES2020
GSMA Intelligence will be hosting a seminar dedicated to IoT at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas during CES. During this session, GSMA Intelligence will feature its latest forecasts and expectations for both consumer and enterprise IoT.
Our senior analysts will be available on-site for one-to-one media interviews during the week. We can provide expert commentary across a range of industry topics and discuss all the key announcements and developments. Please contact us at: media@gsmaintelligence.com
-ENDS-
About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators and nearly 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Los Angeles and Shanghai, as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional conferences.
For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200107005796/en/
Contact information
For the GSMA:
GSMA Press Office
Isobel Moseley
pressoffice@gsma.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Motive and Vivo Brazil Win 2026 Leading Lights Award for Network API Monetization29.10.2026 18:35:00 EET | Press release
Motive, a global leader in entitlement, connected device and service management and Vivo Brazil, Brazil’s largest operator and part of the Telefónica Group, have won the 2026 Light Reading Leading Lights Award for Outstanding Use Case: Network API Monetization for the first commercial scale deployment of SIM-based silent authentication in Latin America. SMS OTP remains relevant as an authentication method due to its broad reach, working on virtually any type of mobile device. SIM-based silent authentication takes this experience a step further by eliminating the need to receive and manually enter codes. The result is a simpler, more seamless user journey that reduces friction and can help lower abandonment rates while increasing customer conversion and retention. Using Motive’s CAMARA-compliant Entitlement Server, Vivo can now verify a subscriber’s phone number directly without requiring a passcode over mobile networks. The business value is straightforward: a simpler authentication ex
REV Ocean Appoints Paul Baribault as CEO Ahead of 2027 Global Operations29.10.2026 16:45:00 EET | Press release
REV Ocean has appointed Paul Baribault as Chief Executive Officer as the organization moves towards the international debut of its 195-metre research vessel in Rio de Janeiro in April 2027, alongside the UN Ocean Decade Conference. One of the world's largest privately owned research and exploration vessels, REV represents a major philanthropic investment in ocean science. With nine laboratories, advanced deep-sea exploration vehicles and dedicated collaboration facilities, it is designed to give scientists access to world-class research infrastructure and connect their discoveries with the people and institutions able to drive ocean protection. Baribault joins as REV Ocean moves from a decade of engineering and construction into international operations. His mandate will be to build the international partnerships, funding base and organization needed to turn REV Ocean’s scientific capabilities into lasting ocean impact. An experienced conservation and nonprofit leader, Baribault served
Holder Partners Launches Strategic Communications Practice and Appoints Ali Ponte as Director and Practice Lead29.10.2026 16:15:00 EET | Press release
Holder Partners, a multidisciplinary consulting and advisory firm, today announced the launch of its Strategic Communications practice and the appointment of Ali Ponte as Director and Practice Lead. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261027701219/en/ Ali Ponte, Director and Practice Lead of Holder Partners’ Strategic Communications practice. The practice advises leading companies and institutions, their boards, senior executives and counsel on communications, reputation and stakeholder considerations in complex matters and periods of significant change or opportunity. Each engagement is tailored to the client’s objectives and, where relevant, draws on Holder Partners’ broader advisory capabilities. Its strategic counsel, informed by research and analysis, helps clients assess the implications of a matter, anticipate stakeholder responses and communicate clearly and effectively. That work includes crisis preparedn
Accertify Formalizes Partner Ecosystem as Fraud, Payments, and Chargebacks Converge Into a Single Risk Surface29.10.2026 16:00:00 EET | Press release
Accertify, a leading fraud decisioning provider whose Predictive Yes Platform helps merchants say yes to more good customers, more revenue, and more growth, today announced the launch of the Accertify Partner Program, a formalized partnership ecosystem connecting payment providers, orchestrators, commerce platforms, and consultancies to Accertify’s network-powered fraud intelligence. Partners can join through two tracks. The Referral track lets partners make a single introduction while Accertify handles the sale, implementation, and support. The Reseller track lets partners sell Accertify on their own contract and own the client relationship and margin. Partners that integrate with Accertify follow a defined certification path, so clients get a tested, supported connection from day one. Every client a partner brings joins a consortium where good customers verified anywhere in the network get through faster everywhere, and bad actors seen anywhere are stopped everywhere. In 2025, Accert
Draslovka to Acquire ex-Natron Energy Battery IP, Completing a Vertically Integrated Western Sodium-Ion Value Chain29.10.2026 15:30:00 EET | Press release
Draslovka’s US-based subsidiary, COVORO MINING SOLUTIONS LLC (Covoro), the operator of one of the largest solid sodium cyanide plants in the world, today announced that it has agreed to acquire the intellectual property portfolio in Prussian Blue Analogue (PBA) and Prussian White Analogue (PWA) sodium-ion battery technology originally developed by Natron Energy. Prussian Blue and Prussian White Analogues are not a single material but a tunable family of framework materials, and the portfolio protects that family across the whole stack — active-material synthesis, electrodes, electrolytes, cell design and manufacturing, as well as complete battery systems — through issued and pending patents, trademarks, and manufacturing know-how, with protection extending into the mid-2040s. The agreement covers intellectual property and intangible assets only and was subject to review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which granted clearance as a condition to closin
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom