Chinese vendors were tipped to be the main beneficiaries of rapid adoption of 5G-enabled smartphones in Western Europe in 2021, posing a threat to the dominance of Samsung and Apple, Strategy Analytics revealed.

The research company predicted 5G models will dominate smartphone sales in the UK, Germany and Switzerland in 2021, with growing shares also expected in Spain, France and Italy.

It stated this would open the door for Chinese vendors to challenge Samsung and Apple, which director Ken Hyers noted are currently “taking the lion’s share” of total smartphone sales.

Growing demand for 5G, though, will act as “a wedge” for Chinese vendors, enabling them to begin growing sales “in 2021 and beyond”, he explained.

Strategy analytics tipped 5G models to account for 77 per cent of total smartphone sales in the UK and Germany in 2021, and take 74 per cent in Switzerland.

It predicted the proportion in Spain to stand at 47 per cent, Italy 41 per cent and 32 per cent in France.

Associate director Ville-Petteri Ukonaho explained while the US and China are leading by “sheer volumes”, consumers in western Europe “are fast adopting 5G smartphones”.