A model poses for a photo with LG Electronics Inc.’s G5 smartphone. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 30 (Korea Bizwire) – LG Electronics Inc. said Wednesday it will start to sell its latest flagship smartphone, the G5, around the globe later this week, three weeks after the debut of the Galaxy S7 series by its archrival Samsung Electronics Co.
The South Korean tech giant said the G5 will come with a price tag of 836,000 won (US$717) in the country, slightly higher than the $707 of its predecessor. Starting Thursday, the device will be sold through 200 mobile carriers around the globe.
The G5 smartphone, first introduced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Spain last month, is claimed to be the industry’s first “Modular Type” smartphone, which connects with various accessories.’
LG said those who purchase the G5 smartphone before April 15 will be given an LG Cam Plus, a camera controller that allows users to control the handset like a digital single-lens reflex camera, as well as a battery expansion pack. The promotion differs among countries.
Consumers who also wish to purchase Bang & Olufsen‘s audio accessories will receive discounts of 38 percent, the company added.
On Thursday, LG Electronics also plans to release its virtual-reality devices showcased at the MWC.
The LG 360 VR, a headset, only weighs 118 grams, while Samsung’s Gear VR weighs 318 grams, even without a smartphone inserted.
But LG’s product will come with a price tag of 299,000 won ($256), hovering far above the around $100 posted by the Gear VR.
As the new LG device comes with a separate liquid crystal display, the company paved the way for a lighter VR experience, although it needs to be connected to smartphones through a cable.
The company will also release the LG 360 Cam, a camera that rotates 360 degrees to create VR-related content.
“The sales of the G5 for the first year are expected to reach 7 million units, hovering above the 4.4 million posted by the G4,” said Lee Seung-woo, an analyst at IBK Securities Co., adding, however, the better-than-expected response to Samsung’s Galaxy S7 may rise as a challenge.
(Yonhap)
