Rival manufacturer LG is due to launch its V50 ThinQ, another 5G phone, in South Korea later this month.
Business
Standard : Samsung Electronics on Friday released the Galaxy
S10 5G, the world's first available smartphone with built-in
fifth-generation communications technology, as South Korea seeks to
build a lead in the transformative system.
On
Wednesday the South became the first country to commercially launch
nationwide 5G services, with three superfast networks going live
offering data speeds that allow users to download entire movies in
less than a second.
Hours
later US giant Verizon began commercial services in Chicago and
Minneapolis, after rival AT&T made a 5G-based system available to
selected users in parts of 12 cities in December.
South
Korea's three mobile carriers -- SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus -- held
launch events across Seoul for the Galaxy S10, whose base version
costs 1.39 million won ($1,200).
Interactive
virtual-reality displays and robot demonstrations were on show to
tout the capabilities of the latest iteration of mobile internet
speed, and new users were excited about the possibilities, especially
live streaming of sports games and university lectures.
"I
watch a lot of videos often, movies and lectures," said buyer
Shim Ji-hye, 38. "I hope faster speeds will help me manage my
time better."
Another
user said he was most excited about virtual reality content -- which
includes games and even "celebrity VR dating" apps
according to the country's mobile carriers.
With
5G, said researcher Lee Sang-yoon, VR content "can be enjoyed in
real time with no delay... I'll be able to enjoy it in better
resolution and speed".
Before
Friday's roll-out of the Samsung
phone, the 5G service had been restricted to a handful of specially
selected users in South Korea.
Rival
manufacturer LG is due to launch its V50 ThinQ, another 5G phone, in
the South later this month, while in the US, Verizon's network works
with Lenovo's Moto Z3 smartphone fitted with a special accessory.
Commercialising
5G gives South Korea the chance to build around the technology, which
is crucial for the future development of devices such as autonomous
vehicles and the Internet of Things.
It
is expected to bring about $565 billion in global economic benefits
by 2034, according to the London-based Global System for Mobile
Communications, an industry alliance.
