The first smartphones to get 5G connectivity were all premium handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G that costs more than US$1,000 and Huawei’s Mate 30 5G starting at about US$880. But Xiaomi has been working to make the new mobile network standard much more affordable, with the new K30 5G from sub-brand Redmi costing a third of the price of a premium phone.
Redmi introduced the K30 5G in Beijing on Tuesday with a price of 1999 yuan. That’s just US$285. Xiaomi already had one of the cheapest 5G phones in China with the Mi 9 Pro 5G, which costs about US$520. It also has the Mi MIX 3 5G for about US$670.
Both versions of the K30 (with and without 5G) are already available for pre-order in China and are expected to ship in January. The K30 includes a 64MP camera on the back and a 20MP hole-punch selfie camera.
Analysts already expected 5G handsets to become much more affordable in 2020. Some also expect the K30 launch to be a prelude to more affordable 5G phones in China, where the three state-owned carriers launched their commercial 5G networks in November. And it looks like Xiaomi is prepared for the coming onslaught. The company plans to launch 10 5G phones next year.