Less than a week ago, we at Revü discovered that the support page of Samsung‘s cheapest 5G phone yet is already up on the Korean company’s Philippine site. Earlier today, we found out that the device is already on offer here.

(Update, December 26: Our review of the Samsung Galaxy A42 5G is up!)

(Update, December 10: We got our hands on Samsung’s most affordable 5G phone yet. Click on this for sample pictures, 5G speed tests, and benchmarks!)

(Update, December 4: It’s now available in retail, too! The price is P19,990 [around $416].)

(Update: Hours after we published this article, Samsung has announced the availability of the Galaxy A42 5G at Smart. The highlighted postpaid plan is Smart Signature Device Plan M, where you get to own the handset for P1,599 [$33] a month for two years with an initial cash out of P3,100 [$64]. The offer comes with 10GB of data with data rollover, unlimited All-Net Text and Calls, and 100 minutes of calls to PLDT subscribers. The telco says, “The device will be bundled with a free UV sterilizer worth P2,199 [$46] for all Smart Signature transactions between November 27 to December 6, 2020.”)

But there’s a caveat: The Samsung Galaxy A42 5G, which is priced at S$498 (around P17,897) in Singapore, is only available through Globe Postpaid — at least based on the information published on Samsung Philippines’ online store.

SEE ALSO: With coverage expansion, Globe 5G now up in these areas

An agent we chatted with via the manufacturer’s Online Shopping Assistance confirmed it’s operator-exclusive, though he added it’s not part of Smart Communications’ 5G smartphone lineup. He did promise to email us if there are changes in the future, such as if the device will go on sale as a prepaid unit.

At Globe Telecom, the Samsung Galaxy A42 5G is free at Plan 1799, where you pay P1,799 (around $37) every month for 24 months, and comes with a UV sterilizer as a freebie. Here are the postpaid plan’s inclusions:

• 15GB of data;
• unlimited text messages to users of all networks;
• unlimited calls to Globe and TM subscribers;
• 100 minutes of All-Net Calls;
• 6 months of subscription to Amazon Prime Video (no data included);
• 3 months of subscription to iflixVIP (no data included);
• 1GB data allocation per month for 24 months to access Facebook; and
• free shipping.

Available in Prism Dot Gray and Prism Dot Black color variants, the Samsung Galaxy A42 5G features a big battery rated at 5,000mAh; a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED screen; a 48-megapixel quad camera on the back; a 20-megapixel selfie shooter; and a rear panel with a multi-layer pattern, with each section getting a different gradient.

This Galaxy’s ability to connect to super-fast 5G connectivity comes courtesy of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 750G chip, which is paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage.

Samsung Galaxy A42 5G specs

• 6.6-inch HD+ (720 x 1,600) Super AMOLED Infinity-U Display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G processor
• 6GB RAM
• 128GB expandable storage (up to 1TB)
• Quad 48-megapixel, f1.8 (main), 8-megapixel, f/2.2 (ultra-wide), 5-megapixel, f/2.4 (depth), 5-megapixel, f/2.4 (macro) rear cameras
• 20-megapixel front camera
• Fingerprint reader (under the screen)
• 5,000mAh battery with 15-watt USB-C charging
• One UI 2.5 based on Android 10

---