A sub-million-won 5G phone hits the market

A 5G phone priced less than 1 million won ($822) is hitting the local market today.

Samsung Electronics said Tuesday it is introducing the Galaxy A90, the latest addition to the Galaxy A family, the company’s line of affordable phones.

Galaxy A90

The device, priced at 899,800 won, is the first A-series phone to have 5G connectivity.

It is roughly 300,000 won cheaper than the first 5G phone from LG Electronics, the V50 ThinQ 5G, which is currently the cheapest among 5G phones in the market. It is priced at 1,199,000 won. The Galaxy S10 5G and the Galaxy Note10 5G, the other 5G phones from Samsung, cost 1,397,000 won and 1,248,500 won respectively for the 256 gigabyte models.

According to Samsung, the phone comes with a 6.7-inch Infinity-U display. While an infinity display is mostly screen and bezel on the front, the Infinity-U has a small U-shaped space for the camera lens.

It has a 32-megapixel camera in front and a triple camera on the back. The front camera has a Live Focus Mode, according to Samsung, making it easier for users to capture selfies or group videos.

The phone utilizes Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 5G mobile platform, offers 128 gigabytes of internal storage and comes with a 4,500-milliamp-hour battery. Two styles will be offered: black or white.

“Samsung has worked tirelessly with our partners in the 5G ecosystem to bring 5G to as many people as possible, and now we are offering 5G connectivity across the entire Galaxy smartphone portfolio, giving more people high speed access and connected experiences,” said Koh Dong-jin, president and CEO of Samsung’s IT and mobile communications division.

The Korean phone maker said it will launch the phone gradually in other markets after the domestic launch, but it did not offer a timeline.

With Samsung’s first foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold, expected to hit the shelves on Friday, Samsung will have a full range of 5G phones. The foldable phone will cost around 2.39 million won.

Market insiders are watching whether expanded options will further push up the number of 5G subscribers in the country. The total broke 1 million in June. As of the end of July, the number of 5G subscribers broke 1.91 million according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.

BY KIM JEE-HEE [kim.jeehee@joongang.co.kr]