Samsung and Telstra reveal free 5G upgrade plan for Samsung Galaxy S10+ buyers
Australians will be among the first in the world to use high-speed 5G downloads on smartphones after Telstra and Samsung revealed a plan to upgrade users’ handsets free of charge.
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Australians will be among the first in the world to use high-speed 5G downloads on smartphones after Telstra and Samsung today revealed a plan to upgrade users’ handsets to the latest generation of technology free of charge.
The unprecedented deal could place Australians “right at the front of the queue” when it comes to the technology, according to Telstra, though it comes with some strings attached, including a 24-month contract and a three-week window in which to upgrade.
The deal was revealed just one week before Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where the world’s top smartphone makers and networks are expected to reveal their 5G plans.
The technology promises to deliver download speeds up to 20 times faster than 4G, quicker connection times, and to connect everything from appliances to self-driving cars to the internet starting this year.
MORE: 60 Australian suburbs to get 5G by March
That will also include a high-end version of one of Samsung’s new Galaxy smartphones unveiled this morning, called the Galaxy S10 5G, though the phone won’t arrive in stores next month, but some time in the first half of the year.
Telstra consumer segment executive Kevin Teoh said the company recognised that could be a problem for keen smartphone buyers who wanted to “future-proof” their next handset but didn’t want to wait months longer.
“We didn’t want customers to feel like they had to miss out,” he said.
“Having gone through many Gs in the past there’s a big portion of the market that really get excited about what the new G is going to offer.”
Under the deal, Telstra will allow customers who sign up for the Samsung Galaxy S10+ on a 24-month lease or purchase plan to upgrade their phone to an 5G model without extra charge when it is released.
Customers will have to swap the phones within three weeks of its launch date, and hand over their old model in “good working order”.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G smartphone will have additional benefits over the phone it replaces, including a larger, 6.7-inch Infinity-O screen, an extra camera on the rear panel to better sense light and depth, and two cameras, including a 3D camera, on its face.
While the price difference between the phones has not yet been revealed, Samsung Electronics Australia IT and mobile vice-president Garry McGregor said it was “fair to assume it will be slightly more expensive,” making it one of the most costly smartphones in Australia.
Mr McGregor said Samsung had signed up to the deal to entice more people to use the new networks, and in recognition that many consumers were waiting for the new technology before upgrading their phones.
“The research we’ve carried out in Australia says that over 40 per cent of Australians are ready and waiting on 5G,” he said.
Telsyte research released earlier this month showed one in four Australian consumers were postponing the purchase of a smartphone until 5G arrived, and one in three listed it as an important consideration.
Mr Teoh said the deal, along with an existing network of 200 Telstra 5G sites, could help to make Australia one of the first countries in the world to use the technology.
“We’re right at the front of the queue,” he said.
“We obviously don’t have knowledge of every device manufacturer and every network, but based on interactions and communications with our peers we absolutely believe we’re right at the front in terms of (5G) network leadership.”
Telstra’s announcement comes just three weeks after Optus revealed plans to roll out 5G coverage to 60 Australian suburbs by March, with the greatest number of 5G sites planned for New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.
Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson travelled to San Francisco as a guest of Samsung.