SKT Raises Official Subsidy for 'Galaxy Z Flip 5G'... Price Drops to 500,000 KRW Range

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] As Samsung Electronics' new foldable smartphone launch approaches next month, the official subsidy for last year's 'Galaxy Z Flip 5G' has increased, bringing the actual purchase price down to the 500,000 KRW range.

According to industry sources on the 1st, SK Telecom raised the official subsidy for the Galaxy Z Flip 5G from a maximum of 480,000 KRW to 580,000 KRW as of that day.

The current retail price of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G at SK Telecom is 1,249,600 KRW. When using SK Telecom's '5GX Prime' plan at 89,000 KRW per month, the actual purchase price drops to 582,600 KRW after applying the official subsidy of 580,000 KRW plus an additional 15% distributor subsidy of 87,000 KRW.

Under the '5GX Regular Plus' plan at 79,000 KRW per month, the official subsidy is 533,000 KRW with an additional subsidy of 79,900 KRW, resulting in an actual purchase price of 636,700 KRW. Choosing the 'Slim' plan at 55,000 KRW per month provides an official subsidy of 469,000 KRW plus an additional 73,000 KRW, making the actual purchase price 710,300 KRW.

This move is interpreted as an effort to reduce the price of older models and clear inventory ahead of Samsung Electronics' new foldable phone launch. Samsung is expected to unveil new foldable phones, including the successor to the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, the 'Galaxy Z Flip3,' and the 'Galaxy Z Fold3,' at the Galaxy Unpacked event early next month. Additionally, new products such as the next-generation smartwatches 'Galaxy Watch4' and 'Galaxy Watch Active4,' as well as wireless earbuds 'Galaxy Buds2,' are also expected to be revealed.

With SK Telecom's official subsidy increase lowering the actual purchase price to the 500,000 KRW range, KT and LG Uplus are also expected to raise their subsidy levels soon. Official subsidies are typically shared between mobile carriers and manufacturers, though the exact burden each bears is not disclosed. Currently, the retail price of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G at KT and LG Uplus is 1,349,700 KRW. When using plans costing over 100,000 KRW per month, the maximum official subsidy is 600,000 KRW at KT and 650,000 KRW at LG Uplus. Including additional subsidies, the actual purchase prices are 659,700 KRW and 602,200 KRW, respectively.

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