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The handset companies said that consumers in India have started future-proofing themselves with a 5G device even in the absence of fifth-generation network services.
“So, there are different consumers and there are different trends that we have seen in this price segment [Rs 14,000-20,000]. We have seen a set of consumers who are going for 5G devices. However, there's a bigger set of consumers that is also looking for a 4G device with better specifications. But at the same time, what people are looking at is to have their device future-ready,” Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, Vice President - India & MENA at HMD Global, said in a panel discussion at the fifth edition of ETTelecom 5G Congress - 2022.
Kochhar added that with 5G services getting rolled in 2022-23, more people will be keen on buying a 5G device so that can be “future-ready”.
“In terms of purchase of 5G phones, consumers who are very aware and who are spending, whether it's a $200 device or a $700 device, they want to be future-ready,” said Madhav Sheth, Vice President, Realme.
Navnit Nakra, CEO, India Region, OnePlus, echoed similar sentiments. “We've always seen a very positive potential with the prospects of 5G technology. All key stakeholders from smartphone brands, telco partners, chipset providers, as well as policymakers play an important role in building the 5G ecosystem,” he said.
According to Counterpoint Research, 5G smartphone shipments in India registered a 555% year-on-year growth in 2021, led by Vivo with a 19% share (by volume).
Sheth said consumers will need to be migrated to a 5G ecosystem as higher usage will drive the democratization of services which will result in 5G becoming affordable. “Smart TVs, smart audio, and smart wearables. I think these three categories would be one of the biggest categories in moving towards 5G,” he said.
OnePlus sees smart TVs as the “biggest beneficiary” of 5G, in addition to smart speakers, eSIM connected devices, and smart home devices.
Notably, the companies have a strong ecosystem of smart products comprising smart TVs, smartwatches, earbuds, and others.
Nakra also added that all stakeholders including the smartphone brands, telco partners, policymakers “will play a significant role in building the 5G ecosystem”.