Samsung Electronics may face tougher competition in the global 5G smartphone market starting in the second half this year when Apple launches its new smartphone that supports the fifth generation network, latest report showed Sunday.

According to Strategy Analytics’ report, the total 5G smartphone sales this year is expected to reach 234 million devices, accounting around 15 percent of all smartphone sales. The number of 5G-compatible phones sold last year was 18.6 million, it added.

The report anticipated Huawei to become the world’s top 5G smartphone seller this year with a 27.3 percent market share, backed by the robust demand from China’s vast domestic market.

Huawei will be followed by Apple with 21.4 percent and Samsung Electronics with 17.8 percent market shares, the report showed.

Next year, Apple is expected to beat the Chinese handset maker by securing robust sales in the US and Europe in line with expansion of 5G services there, the report said. The global 5G smartphone market will grow to mark total smartphone sales of 600 million units.

The report expected Apple’s share in the global 5G cell phone market to increase at 24.2 percent in 2021, closely followed by Huawei with 22.2 percent. Samsung Electronics’ share in the market is expected to fall to 15.1 percent.

Samsung Electronics’ market share depends on how fast emerging nations -- like India and Indonesia -- introduce and expand their 5G network services in the future, according to an industry source. But, the economic fallout in the nations from the pandemic is expected to delay the expansion of the services, the source added.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)