Speed doesn’t come cheap with new Samsung 5G phone

Speed doesn’t come cheap with the new Samsung 5G phone, with a top plan setting you back more than $4700.

Telstra has released pricing details for Australia’s first 5G enabled smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G.

Samsung’s flagship phone will be available through Telstra before any other Australian mobile operator. Telstra Consumer Executive Kevin Teoh described the new faster phone as a “game-changing moment for our customers”.

“We are putting the future into their hands,” Mr Teoh said.

The future won’t be cheap, however with the top of the range plan costing a staggering $4700 plus over the life of the contract.

“5G promises our customers even better connectivity. Its ultrafast speeds, ultra-low latency and greater bandwidth will transform the way we live and work by enabling all sorts of future applications and technologies.

“As well as the superior network connectivity, customers will also enjoy the Galaxy S10 5G’s larger 6.7” cinematic display, 3D depth camera technology, a powerful fast charging battery and other exciting features.”

At a Sydney in Sydney on Monday morning, the phone recorded download speeds of more than 1200 megabytes per second or 1.2Gbps.

Telstra and Samsung demonstrate Australia's first 5G smartphone, the Galaxy S10 5G, and an event in Sydney.

Samsung Vice President, Mobile Division, Garry McGregor said Australians would be amongst the first in the world to experience the power of 5G.

Australia is just the third country globally where Samsung has launched the Galaxy S10 5G.

Regional Australia will not be overlooked with the faster service coming to the Gold Coast and Toowoomba and then other areas.

Mr Teoh said Telstra’s 5G coverage was continuing to expand.

“The rollout of 5G coverage is ongoing and aims to bring the technology to areas where it matters most to customers. Its current footprint focuses on CBD locations and selected regional centres where more than 4 million people live, work or pass through every day,” he said.

“We have started rolling out 5G in 10 cities around Australia. Over the next 12 months or so we expect our 5G coverage to increase in area almost five-fold and reach into at least 35 Australian cities.”

Telstra and Samsung demonstrate Australia's first 5G smartphone, the Galaxy S10 5G, and an event in Sydney.

At launch the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G 256GB on the XL consumer and business lease plans for $144 a month (for 24 months, min cost $3,456) and will come with 160GB of data plus Peace of Mind Data (no excess data charges in Australia), or shareable data as well as Telstra’s sports, music and Wi-Fi data inclusions.

Plans start at $59 a month plus $83 a month for the handset stretching through to the $199 a month over 24 months for a total cost of more than $4770.