Manufacturer delays release of ThinQ 5G

LG Electronics has been in talks with mobile carriers to delay the release of its first 5G smartphone to ensure stable service.

The company had initially planned to introduce the V50 ThinQ on April 19, two weeks after the Samsung Electronics Galaxy S10 5G hit the market.

But the firm has been negotiating with SK Telecom, KT, and LG U+ to adjust its schedule to optimize chipset functions and 5G 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,” said a telecoms company official.

The latest move comes as a growing number of Galaxy S10 5G users have complained about slow speeds, limited coverage and poor interoperability with the existing LTE network.

Samsung earlier said its Galaxy S10 5G will enable users to access the fast network - up to 20 times faster than 4G - revolutionizing gaming, media and entertainment experiences on the handheld devices.

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

The V50 uses the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chipset and X50 5G modem.

Yonhap