Samsung could soon launch the highly anticipated Galaxy S5 Prime in South Korea, possibly under a different name, reports from the region suggest. Similarly, a special LG G3 version could also be released in the country in the near future.
Apparently, local carriers are preparing to launch even faster 225Mbps LTE networks, with ZDNet Korea reporting that KT, Korea’s largest mobile operator, has already started taking pre-orders for a smartphone that will have support for such an LTE network, without revealing the name of the device.
The publication reports that sources familiar with the matter said the phone is likely the Galaxy S5 Prime, which could be launched as soon as next week. However, Samsung is expected not to use this particular product name for the device.
ZDNet has also revealed that KT managed to achieve 225Mbps speeds by aggregating its 20MHz and 10MHz bands, which support 150Mbps and 75Mbps speeds, respectively.
The Korea Times has a similar report, which claims that all three local carriers, including KT, SK and LG U+, are going to have 225Mbps LTE-A networks in place later this month, and that local handset makers including Samsung and LG could launch new versions of their flagship handsets with support for the faster data speeds.
The publication also mentions the Galaxy S5 Prime, saying the phone should have a high-definition 2K display, but also a faster processor to support the new LTE-A speeds. Similarly, a special G3 version could also be launched to support the faster networks.
However, LG did not confirm it plans to launch an even faster G3 model soon. “Details of the new model such as timing of launch and price are not yet fixed and the firm will concentrate on the existing G3 for the moment,” an LG official told The Korea Times.
A recent report revealed that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6 will likely also support faster LTE download speeds of up to 300Mbps.
