US consumers need more than incremental gains from 5G

The last few years has seen an increasing number of consumers hold onto devices for longer, and the trend does not seem to be changing right now.

According to research from NPD, the second-half of 2018 saw the number of consumers in the US holding onto devices for longer increase yet again. The global slowdown in the handset market has been well documented, and this report demonstrates the difficulties users are having to dig deep into pockets to fork out for much the same.

“Rising price tags, extended longevity of new generation devices, and lack of innovative features beyond imaging enhancements, are a few factors reducing consumer motivation to upgrade,” said Brad Akyuz of NPD.

“The emergence of 5G could help to accelerate upgrade cycles, as consumers will look to leverage faster speeds for mobile entertainment, but despite strong consumer awareness, this is expected to be a longer-term result.”

When asked how old devices were, 29% of US consumers said at least two years old. Less than 20% of the respondents indicated they were ready to upgrade their device in the first-half of 2019.

This is perhaps not the news many in the industry were looking for. 5G is supposed to be a shiny new red ball to get the consumers excited, but NPD does not appear to believe it will be enough to turn current trends.

The issue which many in the consumer world seem to be facing is a lack of innovation. New devices are appearing each year, but there doesn’t seem to be anything new. The camera is better, the battery lasts longer, the device is lighter and shinier. But these are all incremental upgrades perhaps not justifying the price increases. Unfortunately, 5G seems to be falling into the same trap.

What does 5G offer you according to the telcos today? Faster download speeds. An improvement, but not exactly the breakthrough many were hoping for, especially when you consider the incredibly limited coverage maps. It is being sold as another incremental upgrade right now, and that clearly does not get the consumer excited anymore.

Heading back to the research, only 33% of consumers stated they would have an interest in purchasing a 5G device when it become available. Note the word ‘interest’ here; the actual figure is likely to be a lot smaller when the realities of handing over money come into play.

Although these reports are far from gospel, they do indicate market sentiment and give the industry a nudge in the right direction. 5G is being sold as an incremental upgrade on speed alone and that doesn’t seem to be good enough. Admittedly, there is little more which can be sold at the moment, but telcos and the handset manufacturers will have to dig deeper into the creativity mines if they are to turn the trends of the last few years.