Samsung, the world's largest smartphone manufacturer, has announced that it sold 6.7 million 5G smartphones in 2019 and now accounts for more than half the global market.
South Korea tech firm Samsung exceeded its own forecast of around 4 million units for the year and sold 6.7 million 5G smartphones, widening its gap over rivals in the 5G device market.
Samsung took the first mover advantage in the 5G smartphone category when it launched its Galaxy S10 5G for Verizon customers in May 2019. Meanwhile, rival tech company Apple is expected to introduce a 5G-enabled smartphone by the end of 2020.
Verizon became the first carrier to provide 5G-compatible smartphones with its moto z3 units but they required an accessory that attached to the back of the device to access the 5G network.
Since the launch of the S10 5G, Samsung has released four other 5G smartphones, namely the Note 10 5G, Note 10+ 5G, A90 5G and the Galaxy Fold 5G. It is expected to launch its first 5G tablet, the Galaxy Tab S6 5G, in the first quarter of 2020 in Korea.
TM Roh, head of research at Samsung's mobile communications division, "We are excited to bring 5G to even more device categories and introduce people to mobile experiences they never thought possible."
Samsung has been deemed to have benefited from the US campaign against its Chinese rival Huawei, the world's largest telecommunications equipment maker and a leading smartphone seller. The US government blacklisted Huawei in May, prohibiting US companies from selling vital tech and components to the Chinese tech giant.
In October, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that companies receiving government funding were prohibited from purchasing equipment or services from the Chinese tech firms Huawei and ZTE. The FCC announcement was part of the US government’s initiative to place restrictions to impede the worldwide expansion of Huawei.
