Apple ahead in the UK
Apple and Samsung are the clear market leaders, with the UK taking a particular shine to the Apple iPhone. Apple held close to 50 percent share of the market in 2020, ahead of the 28.56 percent Samsung maintained. The market shows a fairly even split between Apple and Android devices, with 49.98 percent of active devices running iOS, and 49.45 percent running Android. The Android operating system runs on a large range of devices from varying manufacturers.Apps remain a key attraction for smartphone users
Smartphones go well beyond a standard feature phone, due to their ability to run apps that take advantages of the phone’s computing power, internet connectivity, cameras, and GPS capability. In terms of the most popular iPhone apps by number of downloads , shopping app Vinted leads the way, followed by messaging apps, social media, and gaming apps. The most popular Android apps by number of downloads are similar, with Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! taking the top spot from Vinted.When it comes to the highest-grossing apps, gaming apps are in a class of their own. Roblox was the highest grossing iPhone app in Great Britain in April 2021, followed by Coin Master, Clash of Clans, and Candy Crush Saga. Together, these apps generated more than 4.55 million U.S. dollars in April 2021. The highest grossing android apps in Great Britain list features similar titles, with Coin Master in the top spot followed by Roblox, Candy Crush Saga, and State of Survival: The Zombie Apocalypse generating 9.7 million U.S. dollars during April 2021.
5G set to shape the smartphone market
5G – the fifth generation of mobile broadband technology – is set to shape developments in the global smartphone industry in the coming years. Mobile providers in the UK have been preparing the roll-out for some time, purchasing licenses to operate on 5G-relevant frequencies as early as 2018. Four carriers – EE, Hutchison 3G, Telefónica UK, and Vodafone – spent 1.16 billion British pounds to purchase spectrum in the 3.4 GHz range in 2018. Further auctions took place during 2021 covering 3.4GHz frequency and 700 MHz frequency, both relevant to 5G coverage.br> Overall, the cumulative costs of the 5G rollout in the United Kingdom is expected to reach 11 billion euros by 2040, the equivalent of approximately 9.3 billion British pounds.
