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

SINGAPORE - 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. 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 on Aug 19, Samsung confirmed with us that it is the same model that will be sold in Singapore, except that it will officially be known as the Galaxy S5 4G+. 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.

The new smartphone features four main upgrades that the existing Galaxy S5 does not have: a faster processor, a higher resolution display, more RAM and support for faster LTE speeds. For ease of reference, we'll be lifting the details of the upcoming phone from our previously reported news:

"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 (In Korea, it is advertised as supporting speeds up to 225Mbps). Supporting the quad-core chipset is 3GB RAM, which will make the Galaxy S5 4G+ a benchmark monster."

"While the screen size remains the same at 5.1-inches, Samsung bumped up the resolution to Quad HD (QHD) at 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. Due to its slightly smaller display, the Galaxy S5 4G+ boasts a higher pixel density (576ppi) than the 5.5-inch LG G3 (538ppi). As such, Samsung can now claim that it has the industry's sharpest display."

"Aside from the four key upgrades, the Galaxy S5 4G+ has similar specs as the Galaxy S5 such as the 16-megapixel ISOCELL rear camera, a fingerprint sensor, a heart rate sensor, a 2,800mAh battery and IP67 ratings for water and dust resistance."

But that's 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:- $688
Combo 2:- $588
Combo 3:- $278
Combo 4:- $178
Combo 5:- $78
Combo 6:- $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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