Less Than a Month After Release, 'Gongjaphone'... Galaxy A42 Subsidy Up to 400,000 Won

A42 5G Official Subsidy Soars 2 to 3 Times
Additional Subsidies Combined Exceed Release Price

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Samsung Galaxy A42, the 'lowest-priced 5G smartphone in Korea,' has been added to the list of 'free phones.'

According to industry sources on the 2nd, LG Uplus has increased the official subsidy for the Galaxy A42 5G to a maximum of 400,000 KRW. This is 2 to 3 times higher than the previous range of 85,000 to 135,000 KRW.

By plan category, the subsidy is 400,000 KRW for the 5G Premier Essential plan (monthly 85,000 KRW) or higher, 355,000 KRW for 5G Standard, 267,000 KRW for 5G Light and Light Plus, 231,000 KRW for 5G Slim Plus, and 222,000 KRW for 5G Light Youth and Senior plans. The difference in official subsidies by plan is part of a marketing strategy.

Combining the maximum official subsidy of 400,000 KRW for the 5G Premier Essential plan with an additional subsidy of 60,000 KRW results in a total support of 460,000 KRW. Since the retail price is 449,900 KRW, the actual purchase price becomes zero.

Released on the 12th of last month, the Galaxy A42 is a mid-tier model in Samsung Electronics' budget Galaxy A series. The price difference with the lower-tier LTE phone Galaxy A32 (374,000 KRW) is around 80,000 KRW. Although the Galaxy A series has had relatively low attention for official subsidies due to its affordable price, it is expected that aggressive marketing by telecom companies will be launched this year. Samsung Electronics, the manufacturer, is also strengthening its cost-effective lineup.

However, other telecom companies such as SK Telecom and KT have not yet raised their maximum subsidies, which remain at around 170,000 KRW and 240,000 KRW respectively.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.