5G handsets now comprise 87 pc of smartphone shipments in India

The share of 5G handsets in the smartphone shipments in India soared to 87 per cent during the first half of CY 2025, indicating the consumers are increasingly adopting the new technologies in the smartphone market, a new report has said.

According to the report from Counterpoint Research, India now stands at the 14th spot globally in terms of overall 5G share in total smartphone shipments.

The share of smartphone shipments in the Indian market was 47 per cent in the first half of 2023, when the country was in 40th spot. It went up rapidly in the first half of 2024.

5G smartphones have become mainstream, accounting for 71 per cent of overall global smartphone shipments in H1 2025, the report said.

The penetration of 5G smartphones has increased rapidly across both developed and emerging markets, driven mainly by rising consumer demand, affordable devices and faster 5G network rollouts.

Some countries, such as Venezuela and Ecuador, however, continue to see very sluggish growth in the 5G share of their smartphone shipments.

In H1 2025, the average 5G share for the bottom 10 countries was only 15 per cent amd Asia ranked as the largest 5G smartphone market globally. However, Pakistan and Bangladesh were among the countries with the lowest 5G adoption.

Pakistan was the seventh biggest market in terms of Asia’s smartphone shipments in H1 2025, but it is yet to roll out 5G services. The government has been delaying spectrum auctions since 2021 over complaints of high spectrum cost, even as insufficient infrastructure and fiscal challenges keep 5G devices out of reach.

The research house said that, although 5G is growing steadily, 4G is expected to remain the backbone mobile network in these lagging countries until at least 2030, it noted.

While Latin America’s overall 5G shipment share reached over 41 per cent in H1 2025, Venezuela ranked the lowest globally in H1 2025, with just 1 per cent of its smartphones supporting 5G network. Despite the country receiving its first 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) service in June 2025, low per capita GDP keeps most Venezuelans on 3G and 4G devices. Venezuela has been facing hyperinflation, unemployment and US sanctions, crippling its telecom sector.

Six of the bottom 10 countries with the lowest 5G smartphone shipment shares are from Africa, showing a significant lag in 5G adoption in these markets.