South Korea’s three network operators on Thursday said they will begin receiving preorders for the newly released Samsung Galaxy Note 7 from this weekend at the local price of 988,900 won ($890) per device.

SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus announced they will open up preorders for the Galaxy Note 7 at online and offline retailers from 9 a.m. on Saturday. The device is available locally only in the 64GB version and in three colors -- blue coral, gold platinum and silver titanium.


The Samsung Galaxy Note 7, unveiled in New York on Tuesday, is a large-size smartphone equipped with features such as a curved display, an iris scanner for enhanced security and an upgraded stylus pen with more versatility than preceding models.

The Korean telecom companies have yet to announce the exact range of state-sponsored “phone subsidies” or discounts for phone payment plans available for those who purchase Samsung Electronics’ new smartphone.

Since October 2014, the government has set official subsidy levels for high-priced handsets here to regulate intense competition among major carriers to attract customers in a saturated market.

Meanwhile, local network operators are also offering various discounts in conjunction with credit card companies.

SKT is offering a total discount of up to 480,000 won for those who purchase the new Galaxy Note 7 under a two-year contract using the T Samsung Card 2 V2 credit card.

KT is offering a discount of up to 360,000 won for those who purchase the new Samsung smartphone under a two-year contract using KT Olleh’s Super Card, a credit card with specialized discounts for network usage bills.

LG Uplus is offering a 7 percent discount on monthly network usage payments for customers who by the new device through the company’s online shopping mall, the U+Shop.

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)