Samsung leads US 5G market

Samsung Electronics dominated the 5G smartphone market in the United States in the first quarter of the year, a report showed Thursday.

Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series, which was unveiled in February, made up 94 percent of the U.S. 5G smartphone market in the January-March period, according to market tracker Strategy Analytics, with the S20 Plus being the best-selling model.

The mid-tier S20 Plus accounted for 40 percent, followed by the high-end S20 Ultra with 30 percent and the entry-level S20 with 24 percent, according to the report.

“Samsung is off to an early lead, soaring well ahead of its main Android rivals, such as Motorola, LG, OnePlus and TCL. Early 5G adopters are willing to pay extra for the fastest possible mobile experience, and this is driving solid revenue growth for Samsung and its operator partners in North America,” said Juha Winter, an associate director at Strategy Analytics.

U.S. 5G smartphone shipments reached 3.4 million in the first quarter of the year, accounting for 12 percent of all smartphones shipped in the country, according to Strategy Analytics.

Although Samsung is dominating the 5G market at the moment, Strategy Analytics said the competition is likely to heat up further when Apple releases its next 5G iPhone later in the year.

“Samsung and others must rapidly expand their 5G presence during the upcoming summer period and grab as many 5G customers as they can, before the iPhone juggernaut lands in Q3 or Q4 2020,” it said.

LG Electronics on Thursday introduced a new budget smartphone as the South Korean tech firm seeks to overcome a long slump in its mobile business.

LG said the Q61 will go on sale in South Korea on May 29 with a price tag of 369,600 won ($300).

The handset made its debut in the South American market earlier this month. The Q61 will be released in the North American market next month as well, according to LG Electronics. The Q61 comes with a quad rear camera setup. It houses a 48-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 5-megapixel depth sensor and a 2-megapixel macro lens. On the front, it sports a 16-megapixel selfie camera.

The LTE mobile device features a 6.5-inch display and packs a 4,000mAh battery.