A key Apple supplier has predicted demand for 5G smartphones will clear 500 million devices in the coming fiscal year. Bloomberg News reported that Murata Manufacturing chairman Norio Nakajima made the prediction in an interview in December.
500 Million 5G Phones in New Year
Murata Manufacturing is the world’s biggest maker of ceramic capacitors. It also supplies Samsungs, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo. All are seeking to replace Huawei, whose mobile business has significantly shrunk following U.S. sanctions. “The industry had 300 million units of 5G smartphones during the current fiscal year, and I expect that to increase to at least 500 million in the next fiscal year,” Mr. Nakajima said. “We will continue making capital expenditure to keep up with the growing demand.”
Some analysts reportedly believe this stance is too conservative. For instance, Hideki Yasuda of Ace Research Institute does not expect that demand from Apple or its rivals will drop during 2021.