Xiaomi predicts 4G to fall with plans to ten 'affordable' 5G phones in 2020

• Xiaomi CEO, Lei Jun, announced that Xiaomi will be coming out with 10 'affordable' 5G phone next year
• He predicts that the demand for 4G phones will reduce in 2020.
• He is also encouraged by the demand seen for the Mi 9 Pro, the company's first 5G phone, which launched in China earlier this year.

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is doubling down on its 5G bet. While most smartphone makers have so far restricted their 5G phones to the high-end models, Xiaomi could change that with its plans to launch 10 5G phones in 2020.

The confirmation comes from Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun. Speaking at the World Internet conference in Wuzhen, China, Lei said that the smartphone industry fears a falling demand for 4G phones next year.

“People in the industry fear that next year 4G models won’t sell, this is a step you have no choice but to take. So we hope that operators can speed up their expansion of 5G base stations,” he was quoted as saying.

Xiaomi’s 5G phones won’t be pricey

Lei further added that the demand for its 5G smartphone, the Mi 9 Pro, had exceeded the expectations of the company as it tries to fight back against increasing demand for Huawei’s smartphones in China.

The ongoing US-China trade war has forced Huawei to increase focus on its home market. In addition to this, patriotism amongst the Chinese users has also resulted in a loss of market share for Xiaomi and other top Chinese brands.

To get a head start against Huawei and other Chinese brands, Xiaomi’s Lei Jun has announced that his company will launch 5G smartphones across the high, middle and low-end tiers. In total, it plans to launch 10 5G smartphones in 2020.

For context, most smartphone makers have so far stuck to one or two 5G smartphones in the high-end, essentially rendering 5G phones as a niche category. Xiaomi could change it in 2020, though, and 5G smartphones could become mainstream if everything goes according to its plans.