As the global handset market is entering the 5G era in 2019, leading vendors such as Samsung Electronics, Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo are moving aggressively to launch 5G smartphone models in the first half of the year to build a preemptive presence in the market, according to supply chain sources.

The sources said that 5G smartphones are expected to take center stage at the 2019 Mobile World Congress (MWC) running February 25-28. China's top brand vendor Huawei is expected to unveil its first 5G smartphone at the event, following Samsung's release of its first 5G smartphone prototype at CES 2019 in January.

As frequency bands of 5G are totally different from those of 4G, all base stations must be re-established and the density of the new stations will triple that of existing ones. Accordingly, it will take time to complete 5G infrastructures, and 5G applications will not become mature until after 2020 or 2021, the sources commented.

As 5G smartphones will be premium models with high price tags initially, their shipments are expected to be low in 2019, with suppliers of application processors, power supply and metal chassis unlikely to enjoy significant business opportunities this year.

In the warm-up year for their 5G smartphones in 2019, vendors are expected to highlight 5G capabilities, camera upgrades and foldable screen designs of their new models to enhance their premium brand images and market visibility.

Not likely to regain ground in the China market - now dominated by domestic brands Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo - Samsung is stepping up efforts in 2019 trying to fend off increasing competition from the Chinese rivals in international markets. The Korean vendor is shortening the life cycles of its midrange and low-end smartphone models, while also adopting standardized components to respond to market trends faster, in addition to having its high-end flagship models feature 5G and AI capabilities, foldable screen designs and camera upgrades.