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SingTel to launch 300Mbps 4G Service on 23 August with Samsung Galaxy S5 4G+ (updated)

By Vijay Anand - on 21 Aug 2014, 3:18pm

SingTel to launch 300Mbps 4G Service on 23 August with Samsung Galaxy S5 4G+

** Updated on 20th August, 9pm: Samsung has clarified that they've conveyed an erroneous piece of information to HardwareZone on the specifications of the Galaxy S5 4G+. In short, it's not the Galaxy S5 LTE-A model sold in Korea. We've amended the news below that was originally published on 19th August, 9pm with the updated details.

Late in May 2014, Singtel became the first telco locally to roll out speedier 4G service that claimed data throughput of speeds up to 300Mbps. Also referred to as LTE-Advanced (or LTE-A), it is capable of delivering double  the data speeds of existing 4G LTE services that top out at 150Mbps. At this point of time, more than half the island is LTE-A network ready.

While there are more than a handful of devices that can harness the full 4G LTE speeds,  there was no smartphone available locally to support LTE-A speeds - until today's announcement.

On 23 August, SingTel and Samsung will launch the local availability of the Galaxy S5 4G+, the first handset globally to be compatible with 4G LTE-Advanced networks. This is the same device that was actually launched in earlier in Korea under the name of Galaxy S5 LTE-A. Just last week, we caught this listed on IDA's website, and today, Samsung has confirmed with us that it is the Galaxy S5 4G+ smartphone. This is probably following the same veins as the Samsung Galaxy S4 with LTE+, which became one of the first phones to locally support the 4G LTE data transfers up to 150Mbps, and now the Galaxy S5 4G+ will be the first in Singapore to support the LTE-A standard with data speeds up to 300Mbps.

Although it's not the Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A phone that debuted in Korea, the Galaxy S5 4G+ is still superior to the existing Galaxy S5. It will come in four color options: shimmery white, charcoal black, copper gold and electric blue - similar to the existing Galaxy S5.

The new smartphone features two main upgrades that the existing Galaxy S5 does not have: a faster processor and support for faster LTE speeds.

The Galaxy S5 4G+ runs on the latest chipset from Qualcomm - the Snapdragon 805 - which has clock speeds up to 2.5GHz, an Adreno 420 GPU and the 4th generation Gobi MDM9x35 LTE modem that can support LTE CAT 6 speeds of up to 300Mbps.

Aside from those couple of key upgrades, the Galaxy S5 4G+ has similar specs as the Galaxy S5 such as the 5.1-inch Full HD display (1920 x 1080 pixels resolution), 16-megapixel ISOCELL rear camera, a fingerprint sensor, a heart rate sensor, a 2,800mAh battery and IP67 ratings for water and dust resistance.

it's unfortunate that it's not the more premium Galaxy S5 LTE-A device (SM- G906 SKU) that boasts 3GB of RAM and a resolution bump to Quad HD (QHD) at 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. The Galaxy S5 4G+ that will retail in Singapore has a SKU model of SM-G901, while the existing Galaxy S5 is carries a model number of SM-G900F.

But the Galaxy S5 4G+ is not the only LTE-A device that SingTel and Samsung will debut; also available from some time in September is the recently announced Galaxy Alpha 4G+ smartphone which is the Korean company's first premium designed phone with a metal frame. With LTE Cat 6 data connectivity, it will join the Galaxy S5 4G+ as Samsung's first set of LTE-A devices to support Singtel's new infrastructure.

SingTel customers can purchase the Samsung Galaxy S5 4G+ with a mobile plan from SingTel’s retail outlets or online shop at the following prices when it is launched:-

  • Combo 1:- S$688
  • Combo 2:- S$588
  • Combo 3:- S$278
  • Combo 4:- S$178 
  • Combo 5:- S$78
  • Combo 6:- S$0

SingTel will announce price plans for the Galaxy Alpha 4G+ at a later date, closer to its availability. Meanwhile, if you're not yet accustomed to Singtel's new Combo mobile plans, we've got you covered.

If you're not keen on a Samsung LTE-A device, you can always hold out for for LG's G3 LTE-A model that's available in South Korea now and it's only a matter of time before it makes its way down to Singapore.

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