Smartphone market is on the rise, but where are the use cases for AI and 5G?, ET Telecom

The year started with the launch of premium smartphones from Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus, and with more devices on the way, this year will turn the tide on the mobile industry market.

According to Canalys data, the Indian smartphone market remained stable in 2023 with overall shipments of 148.6 million units (down 2%). In the fourth quarter of last year, the market recovered due to festival discounts and demand, and shipments in the fourth quarter reached his 38.9 million units, an increase of 20% year-on-year.

5G mobile phones accounted for 51% of annual shipments last year, driven by strong demand for affordable handsets. With 5G adoption increasing in the Indian market, few mobile phone manufacturers are focusing on offering affordable 5G smartphones, while others like Samsung and OnePlus are integrating artificial intelligence (AI) features into their phones. Few manufacturers are also leading the way to the next innovation in phones. The AI-powered Samsung Galaxy S24 series has secured record bookings in India. This flagship series has a generative AI app powered by Google’s Gemini LLM, which is also featured in Google’s own Pixel smartphones. OnePlus 12 and 12R – Some of its flagship series boast huge battery capacity, wireless charging, and high-end cameras.

While 5G is becoming a basic feature in new smartphones being launched, affordability remains a challenge for many Indian mobile consumers. India is a price-sensitive market, so the launch of his 5G devices at affordable prices could lead to even wider adoption of 5G devices and services. Another challenge for users is the lack of sufficiently compelling 5G use cases in the mobile space. However, although Xiaomi, Realme, Poco, Lava and other brands have launched their 5G terminals at affordable prices of around Rs 10,000, more efforts are needed to drive mass adoption of 5G connected devices. is.

Affordable 5Gisation drives smartphone sales. Affordable 5G smartphones and replacement cycles should help offset last year’s slow response, according to research firm TechArk. However, apart from high data speeds where mobile users do not care about network connectivity (4G/5G), use cases for 5G for the consumer and enterprise segments are unlikely to emerge. This has lengthened the monetization cycle for carriers.

Nevertheless, the smartphone market is expected to grow in 2024, driven by lower prices for 5G devices, users looking to upgrade to the premium segment, and some users migrating to new technology devices. Ready to be revived. 4G/5G because 200 million users are not yet connected. internet.

Combined with 5G-driven applications such as home automation, the adoption of premium devices could further accelerate, which could bode well for both carriers and smartphone OEMs.