Korean smartphone brands face head-on clash with Apple on 5G front in H2

[Photo by Yonhap]

Korean smartphone brands under Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics and U.S. rival Apple face full-fledged contest in the 5G category in the second half.

According to industry sources on Tuesday, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Fold 2, Apple’s first 5G smartphone iPhone 12 and LG’s new smartphone coded Wing are scheduled to hit the shelves back to back in the second half.

On Aug. 5, Samsung Electronics will unveil Galaxy Note20, Galaxy Fold2, and Galaxy Z Flip 5G smartphones. The Galaxy Note 20 will come in 6.7-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes.

Like the Galaxy S20 series, the rear cameras are placed vertically side by side in a rectangular box on the back. The top model has a 108-megapixel camera and supports 50x zoom instead of the 100x zoom shown in the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Foreign media forecast the phone’s S-Pen will add a laser pointer function. The Galaxy Note 20 is due to be launched on Aug. 21.

Samsung decided to lower the price for the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Note 20 by up to $50 from their respective predecessors to boost sales.

The Galaxy Fold 2 is expected to show some changes in specifications from its early model as the screen will go bigger from 4.6 inches to 6.2 inches when folded, and from 7.3 inches to 7.7 inches when unfolded. The Fold 2 will be released after September.

[Photo by PhoneArena]

Apple which will make its debut on the local 5G market is planning to launch four models: 5.4-inch iPhone 12, 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max, 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro, and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max.

All models will be equipped with OLED displays unlike last year's iPhone 11 that came out with an LCD display. Foreign media also reported Apple has decided to remove a charger and wired earphones from its basic bundle staring with the iPhone12. The new phones are expected to be unboxed in September and sold from October or November.

LG will vie with a form factor following its dual screen phone in the release of its flagship smartphone coded Wing for the second half. The new smartphone, due around October, features a secondary screen that rotates horizontally to facilitate multitasking.

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