LG in talks with carriers to delay its 5G phone

LG Electronics has been in talks with Korea’s three mobile carriers to delay the release date of its first 5G smartphone so as to better ensure stable service, industry sources said Monday.

LG Electronics initially planned to launch V50 ThinQ domestically on April 19, two weeks after Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S10 5G.

But the tech firm has been negotiating with the nation’s three telecoms providers - SK Telecom, KT, and LG U+ - to adjust its schedule to optimize the chipset’s functions and network interoperability with the existing LTE network, according to multiple industry sources.

“Mobile carriers have been negotiating with LG to delay the release date of LG’s V50 ThinQ to enhance the network quality and software performance,” an official from one of the major telecoms providers said, noting the final schedule hasn’t been confirmed yet.

The latest move comes as a growing number of Galaxy S10 5G users in the nation have complained about its slower-than-expected speed, limited coverage and interoperability with the existing LTE network.

Samsung earlier said its Galaxy S10 5G will enable users to access unprecedented speeds - up to 20 times faster than 4G - changing the experience of gaming, media and other entertainment on the handheld devices.

However, most 5G coverage is concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, and some users pointed out the download speed of 5G network wasn’t significantly faster than the LTE network, depending on the connection area.

V50 packs, with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 855 chipset, along with X50 5G modem, and its 128-gigabyte model, cost 1.2 million ($1,054) in the South Korean market. It is cheaper than Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G with 256 gigabytes, which is priced at 1.39 million won.

Yonhap