Abstract

This IDC study presents our first five-year forecast for U.S. 5G smartphone shipments by operating system (OS) and air interface. The U.S. 5G smartphone market will reach a total of 91.1 million units shipped in 2021, up 172.5% from the 33.4 million units shipped in 2020. From there, shipments will reach 157.3 million units in 2025, the final year of our forecast period, resulting in a CAGR of 36.3%.

"The state of 5G devices in the United States continues to feel like a nice-to-have feature rather than a need-to-have feature at the moment," said Anthony Scarsella, research manager with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. "We firmly believe that consumer demand for 5G device remains relatively low as much of the push is coming from both vendors and carriers alike. With 4G speeds more than capable of handling daily tasks, a 5G-powered device is more likely the next phone you buy, thanks to most carriers and vendors upgrading their portfolios to 5G in record times."

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