More than 15 years after the release of the first iPhone, the smartphone market has matured to a point that true innovations have become few and far between. It speaks volumes of the lack of new ideas that the transition to 5G was perhaps the most meaningful change brought to flagship smartphones in the past few years. While 4G networks were quick enough for most day-to-day tasks performed by average users, 5G marks a significant leap forward, offering unparalleled speed, reliability and connectivity.
Compared to its predecessor, 5G offers exponentially faster data transfer rates and reduced latency. This advancement not only enhances the user experience by enabling quicker downloads, smoother streaming and seamless gaming but also facilitates the widespread adoption of emerging technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality and the Internet of Things (IoT). Moreover, 5G's lower latency and higher bandwidth make it suitable for critical applications such as remote surgery, autonomous vehicles and smart city infrastructure. Overall, the transition to 5G heralds a new era of connectivity, unlocking endless possibilities for innovation and transforming how we interact with technology on a global scale.
And while 5G has been available since 2019 and many users have already grown accustomed to its obvious advantages, it's important to note that we're still in the early stages of the transition to 5G, leaving significant growth potential for smartphone makers for years to come. According to estimates from Ericsson’s Mobility Report, the number of 5G smartphone subscriptions worldwide reached 1.5 billion by the end of 2023 and will blow past two billion by the end of this year. That would mean 5G reaching that milestone quicker than 4G did after its introduction in 2009, while 3G was superseded before ever reaching the two-billion mark. While Samsung and several other smartphone makers released their first 5G handsets in 2019, Apple jumped on the 5G bandwagen in the fall of 2020, bringing the new standard to the entire iPhone 12 product line.
