5G is a technology that, although it has yet to reach the average consumer, is already ready for use on a large number of mobile phones.
Suffice it to say that from the first to the third quarter of 2020, the number of models equipped with 5G on physical and online shelves quadrupled, from 50 units in January to over 200 at the end of September.
The most recent report by Counterpoint says it, which places Samsung in the top ten of the best-selling 5G smartphones, with the spearhead Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, just ahead of Huawei's P40 Pro and the Nova 7, also under the Huawei brand .
Seven producers in the Counterpoint ranking come from China, demonstrating how much 5G is already a reality in some parts of the world and how the oriental giants jump ahead, launching new technologies without waiting for the market to be ready.
Much will change as early as the last quarter of 2020 (September to December) thanks to the launch of the iPhone 12, with 5G antennas in every cut, from the mini to the 12, Pro and Pro Max.
Europe and the United States, where Apple users are always very strong, will therefore be able to benefit to put the Cupertino company back on the road to 5G, gnawing slices of the public to those who have so far played in advance.
The most interesting aspect is that in the coming months we will see the increase in the range of mobile phones equipped with a 5G modem at affordable prices.
If today the average of a terminal with this technology is around 700 euros, soon the price tag will fall below the 400 euros threshold.
Thanks to the modem manufacturers, the hardware part where the 5G antenna resides on smartphones, including Qualcomm and MediaTek, which are already working to provide partners with their less powerful chips in terms of performance but "5G ready".
This cannot help but increase both interest and purchase, waiting for 5G to become a reality even outside urban areas, in Europe as in Italy.
In numerical terms, sales of 5G models have increased by almost 300% in less than a year.
In January 2020, the top 10 5G models accounted for 93% of total smartphone sales globally.
Nine months later the figure dropped to 37%, probably also due to the drop in purchases following the pandemic.
According to the "5G & Beyond" Observatory of the School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano, 25% of Italian consumers have already purchased or intend to buy in the short term a smartphone that supports the 5G network while 34% are still evaluating it.
Among the most convinced buyers, not yet in possession of the device, 35% are waiting for an interesting offer and 22% are waiting to have 5G coverage in their city.
Those who are considering the purchase are mainly influenced by the cost of the device (32%), by the coverage in their city (29%) or will wait for reassurance on health (15%).
Users not interested in buying a 5G smartphone are mostly satisfied with what they have (62%) and are discouraged by the high cost (28%), lack of coverage (19%) and health concerns (13%) .
Therefore, in addition to technological innovation, some users also need training courses suitable to avert those doubts that, in 10% of cases, still link innovation and fear, despite the reassurances received from ICNIRP and IARC, international organizations that analyze inter alia, the risk to humans on radiation from 3G, 4G and 5G connections.
