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NOMADIC LIFESTYLE / PART 1 THE 5G REVOLUTION IFA Communication Simon Forest Principal Technology, Analyst, Futuresource FUTURESOURCE FORECASTS THAT AROUND 9 MILLION 5G-CAPABLE SMARTPHONES WILL SHIP IN 2019, RISING TO OVER 800 MILLION IN 2023 5G PRIMED TO UNLOCK INDUSTRIAL POTENTIAL Futuresource analyst Simon Forest explains where, how and why 5G is developing, and what we can expect in the years to come The roll out of 5G services is accelerating, as operators worldwide switch on their 5G networks. We asked Simon Forest, Principal Technology, Analyst, Futuresource, back at IFA again this year, what he sees as being the key trends. South Korea is among the first to launch commercial 5G services, with three major operators sharing the cost of infrastructure. Verizon and AT&T were early to launch 5G in the USA, albeit using different strategies. Meantime, Finland was one of the first countries in Europe and, today, others, including the UK, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany now have 5G services on air. The Netherlands, France and Portugal will be among the next countries. In Australia, Telstra has switched on over 200 5G sites. China Mobile announced plans to build 10,000 5G hotspots across major cities by 2020. In terms of smartphone availability, Huawei, Samsung, OnePlus, LG, Xiaomi, OPPO and ZTE all launched their first 5G-capable devices earlier in the year. As anticipated, these are high-value flagship products intended to maximise Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) revenues as early-adopters make the switch. 5G portfolios will grow as more OEMs launch devices and competition increases. Futuresource forecasts that around 9 million 5G-capable smartphones will ship in 2019, rising to over 800 million in 2023, given the added benefit of launching into a much larger market. What will be the key advantages of 5G networks? The most notable advantage is the high bandwidths available on 5G networks, with peak data rates of 10Gbit/s locally and broad coverage in hundreds of megabits per second over wider areas. Network capacity is massively improved, with the rise in the number of simultaneously connected devices per cell tower widely quoted as up to 100x what is possible using 4G. This means guaranteed connectivity, especially important for industrial applications such as transport infrastructure, logistics, smart city initiatives and IoT. End-toend latency is also reduced, and it’s this that most users will notice because of near-instantaneous response. Essentially this brings the cloud and edge devices into closer interlock, extending the utility of mobile networks into realtime commercial and industrial applications. What can we expect to see at IFA this year? 5G will feature during IFA, as OEMs begin to consider how they can deploy mobile connectivity across their product portfolios. Given the dual advantages of high-bandwidth with low latency on 5G networks, expect to see the balance between edge and cloud compute change quite markedly, notably across products and services that harness machine learning and AI. New applications will likely open up in AR and VR, drones with 5G connectivity, and possible a showcase in development of new categories of products, such as Hearables, which promise to utilise 5G for connectivity and open up new applications such as “Audible AR” 10 Gbit/s 5G networks will have peak data rates of 10 Gbit/s locally 100x The number of simultaneously connected devices per cell tower is widely quoted as up to 100x what is possible using 4G 800million 800 million 5G users are forecasted by 2023 50
NOMADIC LIFESTYLE / PART 1 GAMING IFA IFA Home & Entertainment Electronics IFA My Media GAMING EVOLVES INTO CONSUMER ECOSYSTEM Esports and VR are driving fast-moving growth for gaming © Razer After massive growth, the gaming industry now represents an entire ecosystem, according to GfK. The gaming hardware market recorded a 15% increase year-on-year to reach over €5.51bn turnover (global coverage excluding North America). After multiple quarters of doubledigit growth, the demand for gaming OEM desktops between January and June 2019 was lower (-4%) mainly due to a decline in China and a slowdown in EMEA. However, gaming OEM notebooks continued their success story and grew by 12%, generating €3.16bn turnover. Gaming monitors were the fastest growing segment with an increase of 42% and a turnover reaching €1.08bn for the first six months of the year. A key sector trend has seen the esports industry move gaming into the mainstream, according to GfK. Millions of casual gamers are migrating to esports in search of money, fun, community and live entertainment. Younger audiences are responding to the resurgence of the game console business from the release of the nextgen Xbox and PlayStation consoles, and the upcoming Switch models. At IFA there is hardware dedicated to pros and would-be pros, with durability, accuracy and speed as key features. Nvidia’s laptop gaming segment just saw a 59% year-on-year revenue bump. Gamers are also excited about the latest IFA iterations in AR/VR. In 2018 Valve reported 0.8% of Steam users attach a VR headset; almost doubling from 16 months prior. ESL had six million unique views during its VR League season. GAMING BY NUMBERS Gaming up 15% to over €5.51bn OEM notebooks up 12% generating €3.16bn Gaming monitors up 42% to €1.08bn ADVERTORIAL RAPOO SHOWCASES 9900M ULTRA-SLIM WIRELESS DESKTOP SET Rapoo Technology, an expert in wireless peripheral technology, is at IFA Berlin this year to promote its 9900M Multimode Wireless Ultra-slim Desktop Set. An elegant advanced wireless set, the 9900M looks great on any desktop with its stylish, streamlined design. The keyboard boasts an impressive 4mm ultra-slim yet sturdy design and anodised aluminium housing. The Fn multimedia keys offer quick access to all-important multimedia functions. The 9900M set also features an advanced w i r e l e s s mouse with superior comfort and user-friendly functionality. Precise navigation on virtually every surface is possible thanks to the high-performance laser engine and fully adjustable 3200 DPI. 9900M is not only advanced in design and features, but also in connectivity. The desktop set transmits via Rapoo’s latest multi-mode wireless connection – using reliable 2.4 GHz wireless transmission, Bluetooth 3.0 or Bluetooth 4.0 (Smart) – enabling the user to connect simultaneously to multiple devices and switch (pair automatically) among them. To top it off, the set boasts up to 10 meters range & 360° coverage and features a rechargeable battery so users can enjoy wireless freedom without having to replace batteries. Founded in 2002, Chinese wireless pioneer Rapoo expanded into Europe in 2012 and North America in 2013. With 3,000 employees at one of Asia’s most modern manufacturing plants, Rapoo produces a huge variety of wireless devices for consumers in over 80 countries. It also develops corded products for Europe. » HALL 10.2 / STAND 101 KEY SELLING POINTS 1 / Multi-mode wireless connection 2 / 10 meters range 3 / Rechargeable battery Rapoo’s 9900M Multi-mode Wireless Desktop Set www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Friday 6 th September 2019 51
