Vivo offers new smartphone with 5G, 4G versions as China demand for advanced service still in early days
- Less than 1 million 5G smartphones are forecast to sell in China this year, according to IDC
- That number is projected to grow to 57 million next year as 5G network services expand
The Nex 3 from Vivo, however, is designed to appeal to more consumers in the world’s largest smartphone market because it is available in 5G and 4G versions, according to the Dongguan-based company.
“We’re trying to provide more choices for consumers,” said Ding Guanli, a Vivo product manager, at a media briefing ahead of the Nex 3’s formal launch in Shanghai on Monday. The company’s 4G and 5G Nex 3 models will be sold separately.
That strategy is expected to keep Vivo competitive in China and other markets, as telecommunications network operators push forward their initial roll-outs of ultra-fast 5G mobile services.
“We expect less than 1 million 5G smartphones [to be sold in China] this year, but that number will reach 57 million in 2020 when these devices represent 15 per cent of the total market.” said Bryan Ma, vice-president of client devices research at IDC.
Ma indicated that China, along with other economies, will see “a gradual transition to 5G”. That pace will “naturally increase based on network availability and as prices of handsets decline”, he said.