The 5G shift – Analyzing US consumer adoption and attitudes towards upgrading

According to YouGov Profiles there has been a significant change in US consumers' mobile data connection habits in the past year. The audience intelligence tool data shows that the adoption of 5G technology increased from one-third (34%) in 2022 to nearly half of Americans using 5G for their mobile data connection (49%). Meanwhile the number of consumers with a 4G connection has fallen from more than two-fifths (43%) to one-third (34%). This data highlights the ongoing trend of consumers transitioning to faster and more efficient 5G networks as networks continue to expand and improve across the market.

Does the increase in 5G data connection increase the likelihood of consumers upgrading their phones to access 5G? In 2022, one-fifth of consumers (20%) were likely to upgrade, compared to slightly less in 2023 (18%). Interestingly, the proportion of consumers who were unlikely to upgrade increased from six in 10 consumers in 2022 (62%) to seven in 10 in 2023 (69%).

Despite the growth in 5G adoption rates across all age groups, the overall willingness to upgrade for 5G access has not increased substantially. This suggests that factors other than consumer interest in upgrading may have contributed to the rise in 5G connections, such as the natural replacement of older devices or network improvements.

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Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for the US market is nationally representative of the online population and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.