LG launches new midrange 5G smartphone in South Korea

LG said the Q92 will go on sale in South Korea on Wednesday with a price tag of 499,400 won (US$420). The handset is the first 5G-supporting model in LG's Q series.

The Q92 comes with quad rear camera setup. It houses a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 5MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro lens. On the front, it sports a 32MP selfie camera.

The latest smartphone, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset, features a 6.67-inch punch-hole display.

The Q92 offers 6 gigabytes of RAM and a 128-gigabyte base storage option that can be extended to up to 2 terabytes via a micro SD card. It packs a 4,000-mAh battery.

LG hopes the Q92 can boost its presence in the fast-growing 5G market here. South Korea had 7.3 million 5G accounts in June, accounting for just over 10 percent of the 69.6 million mobile accounts in total, according to science ministry data reported by Yonhap news agency.

The Q92 is likely to compete with the Galaxy A51 5G from Samsung Electronics Co. in the domestic budget 5G smartphone market. The Galaxy A51 5G, which was launched in May, has been sold at 572,000 won here.

LG has been trying to turn around its struggling mobile business with new smartphones, including the Velvet, recently.

LG's Mobile Communications division posted an operating loss of 206.5 billion in the second quarter of the year, extending its losses to 21 consecutive quarters. Its revenue also declined 18.9 percent on-year to 1.31 trillion won in the April-June period.