The number will grow sixfold to reach 88m by 2026

The analyst firm forecasts 5G connections to hit 1.2bn by the end of the year

The analyst firm also announces it has strengthened its partnership with Global mobile Suppliers Association 

The industry is still battling to hit the pre-pandemic levels

Consumers also continue to remain brand loyal when choosing new handsets

CCS Insight looked at the future of mobile, revealing its latest predictions for the years ahead

5G will account for half of cellular connections in Western Europe by 2024

Bigger growth is expected in 2022 as the post-pandemic recovery continues

Strong adoption of 5G in the coming years will take worldwide connections to 3.6bn in 2025

With recovery expected next year as component shortages ease 

Founder Shaun Collins to step into executive chairman role

Consumers find convenience in buying phones online, but the high-street

Handset vendors and accessory makers are stepping up efforts to add sanitisation features to products

Sector sees shifting landscape in areas such as 5G rollouts in light of Covid-19, says analyst firm

More youngsters ready to embrace technological change, research suggests

Verizon consumer CEO Ronan Dunne interviewed on first day of week-long analyst event

Drop was less than expected amid the coronavirus lockdown 

But second-hand market will remain strong as consumers delay upgrades says CCS Insight

At its recent predictions event, the analyst firm talked 5G, ‘tech nationalism’ and sustainability

The bold prediction was made by CCS Insight during its Predictions event

In total 90 predictions were cast at the event by CCS Insight analysts

The firm anticipates 20 per cent of global mobile connections will be 5G in 2025

Sales were expected to hit two billion by 2022 but will stagnate at 1.9 billion until 2023

Nice Network rebranded last year after 32 years of trading as CCS

‘Watch out for China’ is among the main thrust of the analysts’ predictions for next year 

After 32 years of trading CCS has rebranded to the Nice Network as it aims to expand

Smartphone sales dip in Western Europe and North America with phone-makers betting on 5G to improve fortunes 

Europe is expected to be left behind in the race for 5G as US and China lead the way

The average mobile subscriber uses 2.5GB of data per month but is predicted to grow to 18GB by 2021

New entrant claims power and reputation will help it achieve its long-term aims

Analyst expects shipments to fall 1.3 per cent this year with looming component shortages and price hikes putting pressure on smaller smartphone makers

CEO Tim Cook hailed the device as Apple’s best yet, but reception from B2B dealers and analysts wasn’t as positive

Rising smartphone costs have fuelled a demand for leasing solutions

With sales at their lowest for almost 10 years, is it time to finally wave goodbye?

The group predicts global wearables revenue will hit $14 billion (£9 billion) by the end of this year

Analyst house predicts multiplay services will continue to disrupt the market, with companies forced to make new alliances and acquisitions in order to compete

Lee says 4G will revolutionise the B2B market place this year, with Windows 8 tablets proving to be game changers