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
Pantheon Expands Middle East Presence With New Abu Dhabi Office and Senior Regional Appointment30.9.2026 13:56:00 EEST | Press release
Pantheon, a leading global private markets firm with approximately $84bn in assets under management, today announced the expansion of its presence in the Middle East with the opening of its first office in ADGM, the international financial center based in Abu Dhabi, alongside the appointment of Firas Mallah as Managing Director and Head of Middle East. Demand for access to private equity, infrastructure, and private credit strategies continues to build among sophisticated investors across the Middle East, who recognize Pantheon for its 40-year track record of innovation and expertise across primaries, secondaries and co-investment opportunities. Secondaries – pioneered by Pantheon in 1988 – remains a defining thread across the platform: alongside its long-established private equity secondaries business, Pantheon has among the industry's first and largest private credit and infrastructure secondaries franchises, making it a strong partner in that space across the GCC. These strategies a
34% of Global Consumers Say They Are Worse Off Financially Than a Year Ago as Households Adapt to a New Era of Permanent Uncertainty, NIQ Finds30.9.2026 13:45:00 EEST | Press release
With over a third (34%) of global consumers saying they are financially worse off than they were a year ago, and another third (30%) saying they are financially better off, consumers are no longer waiting for economic conditions to improve. Around the world, households are adapting to a future where volatility remains a persistent reality, creating increasingly different financial outcomes, spending priorities, and pathways to growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260930542911/en/ NIQ's Consumer Outlook: Guide to 2027 These findings come from NielsenIQ’s (NYSE: NIQ) latest global Consumer Outlook survey of more than 21,000 respondents across 31 countries, combined with NIQ's measurement of real-world purchasing behavior. The research reveals that economic uncertainty is no longer a temporary disruption, but a defining feature of how consumers make decisions. Findings include: 34% of global consumers globally
Neutrogena ® , Aveeno ® , and Regaine ® Present New Scientific Evidence Demonstrating How Science-Backed Ingredients Support Healthy Skin and Hair30.9.2026 13:45:00 EEST | Press release
Neutrogena®, Aveeno®, and Regaine®* will present 12 new scientific data sets at the 35th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress taking place September 30th through October 3rd in Vienna. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260930489298/en/ New Neutrogena science showcased at EADV 2026 in Vienna, Austria Abstracts presented will share new evidence demonstrating how science-backed ingredients including niacinamide, trehalose, colloidal oat and 5% minoxidil can help address some of the most common skin and hair concerns consumers experience, including acne, oily skin, dry skin, hyperpigmentation, eczema, UV-related skin damage and androgenetic alopecia. The findings reinforce a growing body of evidence showing that innovative formulations can deliver benefits beyond traditional expectations by helping protect and strengthen the skin barrier, improve visible skin concerns, and support hair reg
Compass Pathways Appoints Kelley Boucher as Chief People Officer30.9.2026 13:30:00 EEST | Press release
Compass Pathways plc (Nasdaq: CMPS), a biotechnology company dedicated to unlocking urgently needed new treatment options in mental health care, announced the appointment of Kelley Boucher as Chief People Officer, effective today. This appointment strengthens the Compass executive team as the company continues to scale in support of its mission to bring the first classic psychedelic treatment to the field of psychiatry. In this role, Ms. Boucher will oversee the Company’s people strategy, with an initial focus on guiding its planned evolution towards the launch of COMP360 psilocybin, subject to FDA approval, in the first half of 2027. "We are thrilled to welcome Kelley to our executive team at this pivotal moment in Compass’ journey. As we prepare for our NDA submission in the fourth quarter of this year, we are closer than ever to achieving our goal of introducing an entirely new treatment model in mental health care with COMP360 psilocybin," said Kabir Nath, Chief Executive Officer a
NIQ Expands Google Relationship with Meridian Integration into NIQ Cadence™30.9.2026 13:30:00 EEST | Press release
NIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leading consumer intelligence company, today announced the expansion of its relationship with Google through the integration of Meridian, Google's open-source MMM framework, into NIQ Cadence™, NIQ's AI-native marketing effectiveness operating system. The strategic partnership gives marketers a single place to measure marketing performance and act on it, shortening the distance between insights and optimization. Marketing leaders are under growing pressure to prove the return on every media dollar, and traditional measurement has struggled to keep pace. In NIQ’s latest CMO Report, 74% of CMOs said they were under more scrutiny to prove marketing ROI, while just 9% felt they had adequate access to real-time insights. NIQ Cadence™ was built to help close the 65-point actionability gap between accountability and timeliness. Rather than treating measurement as a one-time event, the integration brings Meridian into NIQ Cadence™, a unified platform which brings data, models
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