As always, since new devices will be required to take advantage of new 5G networks, early mobile phone subscriptions will be limited. The first 5G phones using the new millimeter wave frequencies will appear in 2019, probably in the second half of the year.
Ericsson believes about a billion 5G smartphones will be in service by about 2023, representing about 12 percent of all mobile subscriptions. As always, those early adopters will tend to be power users who want the latest and greatest, including the order of magnitude increase in potential bandwidth.
