While Chinese consumers are more optimistic than those in the U.S. or Europe in a post-pandemic environment, smartphone replacement and 5G adoption have slowed, according to a new study.
Neary a third (32%) of Chinese consumers have delayed 5G adoption and 37% have delayed a new smartphone purchase overall, based on the study comprising a survey of 1,300 consumers by Strategy Analytics,
Apple users are the most optimistic, with 41% intending to buy a new smartphone device as planned or sooner than planned.
“The supply chain and full ecosystem may be back up to speed as we enter Q2, but it is clear that a significant portion of consumers are not yet ready to return to previous patterns and purchase intentions,” stated Linda Sui, director of smartphone research. “Operators, vendors and retailers will have to work extra hard to persuade hesitant smartphone owners that new devices and new 5G services are worth making an investment in relative to other priorities.”