5G user base in China surpasses 300 million

China's 5G smartphone user base surpassed 300 million in April, with more affordable 5G models and new 5G applications, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Tuesday.

As of April, three Chinese carriers – China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom – had 1.6 billion mobile accounts, 310 million of whom are 5G users, according to the ministry, which regulates the industry.

By 2025, 5G will directly boost the national economy by 2.93 trillion yuan (US$450.8 billion), with a higher user base as well as innovations and applications in various industries. There are more than 9,000 5G applications for factories, transportation, education and other sectors, according to the ministry.

Smartphone vendors have launched affordable 5G models priced around 1,000 yuan, which have been well received by the market, industry insiders said.

Startup brand Realme, which has launched a 5G smartphone with a mainstream chip and camera priced at only 999 yuan, plans to offer 700 million yuan worth of subsidies for consumers, hoping to sell about 1 million 5G smartphones during the 618 (June 18) online shopping festival in China, the company said today.

In the first quarter, Realme had the highest sales growth of any major smartphone brand, said Xu Qi, Realme's vice president.

Firms like Xiaomi's Redmi and Vivo's iQOO have also launched affordable 5G models in China.

The growing 5G user base will fuel more applications and innovations in the future, the ministry said.