‘Astronomical growth coming’: 43% of global active smartphones will be 5G-ready by 2023

The year 2020 marks a milestone year for the general mobile market, as the number of active smartphone users will reach 3.5 billion or around 45 percent of the entire global population, says researcher Newzoo.

According to its new Global Mobile Market report, China will account for over a quarter of the global number of smartphone users in 2020. Regions like Central-Southern Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America will steer much of that growth due to increasing smartphone penetration and improving (mobile) internet infrastructure in those areas.

The report showed that just under 200 million active smartphones will be 5G-ready by the year’s end, accounting for just five percent of the global number. That number will continue to grow, reaching 4.8 billion by 2023, with 42.7 percent of them compatible with 5G technology.

With the majority of mobile users playing games, there will be 2.5 billion mobile gamers by the end of 2020 and that number will also spike towards 2023. This year, global mobile game revenues will reach $77.2 billion, up more than 13 percent year-on-year. They are set to cross the $100-billion mark in 2023.

“5G has had some complications, but astronomical growth is coming,” said Newzoo, detailing that for 2020 and 2021, complications from Covid-19 challenged 5G’s mass deployment, “But the 5G revolution is still coming.”

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