Galaxy Note 7 price tag: $887

The Galaxy Note 7, unveiled on Tuesday, will retail at 988,900 won ($887), the three mobile carriers said Thursday.

The amount of government-set subsidies, expected in the high-200,000 won range, will be revealed Aug 19, a day after the preorder period ends. Advance sales of the phone start at 9 a.m. Saturday but the carriers already are offering a variety of benefits to boost sales of the Samsung phablet.

Those who order the device in advance and launch mobile service by Aug. 23 - through SK Telecom, KT or LG U+ - will receive Samsung Electronics’ Gear Fit 2 fitness band, a value of about 200,000 won.

In the United States, Note 7 buyers can choose either a Gear Fit 2 or a microSD card with 256 gigabytes (GBs) of storage space for photos and videos. The retail price of the Android phone is $849 to $880 in the United States, depending on carriers.

SK Telecom is adding a 360,000 won to 480,000 won discount for customers who purchase the Note 7 with a T Samsung Card 2 V2 credit card and pay monthly installments over two years.

Cardholder discounts could reach 480,000 won depending on the previous month’s card spending. With a 250,000 won subsidy, the new smartphone could get as cheap as 258,000 won.

Subscribers to the No. 1 telecom service may also get early delivery on Aug. 16 if they preorder online from the T World Direct online shopping mall. SK Telecom is also offering 36GBs of its self-developed free cloud storage Cloudberry to Note 7 purchasers.

KT customers will receive mobile fee discounts of up to 360,000 won, if they buy the phone with KT’s Super Card on a two-year installment plan. With discounts, the phone could cost as low as 378,900 won.

Starting Saturday, mobile carriers will display Note 7 at some 650 stores across the nation.

“Galaxy Note series is one of the most beloved models among all Samsung smartphones,” said KT Mobile Device Director Lee Hyun-suk. “We hope prospective buyers feel the attractiveness of Note 7, much upgraded from the previous version.”

LG U+ has the least generous benefits on the Note 7. The carrier will provide a 100,000 won discount coupon to Note 7 buyers who launch phone service between Aug. 19 and Sept. 30. Subscribers will also receive a 50 percent discount on a year’s insurance policy for the phone’s screen.

Analysts say LG Electronics is trying to re-ignite competition among smartphone producers in the phablet category as it gears up to unveil its V20 smartphone on Sept. 7 in Seoul and San Francisco.

The pop-up preview image of the mobile phone hints that the follow-up to V10, released in October, will focus on its multimedia features. Industry insiders predict the V20 will take over the key features of its predecessor such as a wide screen and high-end audio and will carry a 5.7-inch screen, the same size as Galaxy Note 7’s. Retail price is expected at around 800,000 won.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun@joongang.co.kr]