Analysts have been saying that cheaper 5G phones are coming next year, and now it looks like Vivo wants to be the one leading the charge.
Vivo vice president Hu Baishan announced this week that the company is planning to launch more 5G phones next year and promised they’re going to get much cheaper. In an interview with local media, Hu said Vivo will launch a 3,000 yuan (US$420) phone at the beginning of next year and another 5G model in the second half of 2020 starting at just 2,000 yuan (US$280).
Vivo has already released two 5G phones this year, but neither dips below the US$500 mark. The iQOO Pro 5G costs US$533 and the 5G model of the newly released NEX 3 costs US$800.
Early 5G phones have been quite pricey compared to similar 4G models. The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, for instance, costs US$1,300. But the high prices today reflect the high costs associated with new technologies, according to analysts.