[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] With Samsung Electronics expected to unveil a large number of new products through the Galaxy Unpacked event on the 11th of next month, mobile carriers are consecutively increasing the official subsidies for their flagship models.
According to industry sources on the 23rd, KT raised the official subsidy for the 'Galaxy S21 Ultra (256GB)' from the previous 600,000 KRW to 700,000 KRW on the same day.
Currently, the retail price of KT's Galaxy S21 Ultra (256GB) is 1,452,000 KRW. If customers subscribe to a plan costing 90,000 KRW or more per month, the official subsidy of 700,000 KRW combined with an additional 15% retailer subsidy of 105,000 KRW reduces the actual purchase price to 647,000 KRW. This is the highest level among the three major mobile carriers, with SK Telecom and LG Uplus setting their official subsidies at 500,000 KRW based on the highest-priced plans.
On the same day, the official subsidy for the 'Galaxy S21 Ultra (512GB)' model was also raised to a maximum of 700,000 KRW. The Ultra 512GB model, priced at 1,599,400 KRW, drops to an actual purchase price of 794,400 KRW when additional subsidies are applied. This is also the highest official subsidy level among the three major carriers. SK Telecom and LG Uplus offer official subsidies of 500,000 KRW for the Ultra 512GB model based on the highest-priced plans.
This increase in official subsidies is interpreted as an effort to clear inventory ahead of Samsung Electronics' launch of strategic models such as new foldable smartphones in the second half of the year. As Samsung's strategic models prepare to launch, the three major carriers have been raising official subsidies for flagship models since last month. On the 17th, LG Uplus raised the official subsidy for the ‘Galaxy Z Flip 5G’ to 700,000 KRW, lowering the actual purchase price of that model to the 500,000 KRW range.
Earlier, Samsung Electronics announced that it will hold the 'Galaxy Unpacked 2021' event on August 11 at 11 PM (10 AM Eastern Time, USA) to unveil the latest Galaxy devices. The invitation sent to global major media and partners emphasized the phrase 'Get ready to unfold' along with an image symbolizing a foldable phone.
The second half Galaxy Unpacked event, held online, is expected to reveal the next-generation foldable smartphones ‘Galaxy Fold3’ and ‘Galaxy Z Flip3’, as well as the smartwatch ‘Galaxy Watch4’ series and wireless earbuds ‘Galaxy Buds2’.
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