Samsung to launch its cheapest 5G smartphone in early 2021

Samsung announced the Galaxy A21 smartphone in April this year and now the company is planning to launch its successor ‘A22 5G’ in the second half of 2021, as its most affordable 5G-ready phone.

According to a report in BusinessKorea, the South Korean tech giant will launch the Galaxy A32 5G in the first half of 2021 and the Galaxy A22 5G in the second half of 2021 to expand its presence in the budget 5G smartphone market.

Samsung has reportedly partnered with Chinese consignment companies for the development and production of the Galaxy A22 5G in the JDM method. Sources say that these companies are likely to be Wing Tech and Hwaqin.

Unlike the Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) method in which outsourcing companies are in charge of product development, design, and production, in the JDM method, Samsung Electronics is partly involved in the selection of major specifications and components. One of the biggest advantages of the JDM method is cutting manufacturing costs to secure price competitiveness and manage quality at a uniform level.

In terms of specifications, the device could be powered by the Dimensity 720 5G chipset. The handset could be costing around 299 euros (approx. PKR 58,845) in the European markets.

Following the first low- and medium-priced 5G smartphone Galaxy A51 5G launched in 2020, Samsung has expanded 5G smartphone models to its lower-end lineup. This is a move to cope with a price war by Chinese manufacturers, since companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo released many 5G smartphones in a fairly affordable price range.