Blockchain-Powered 5G Phone Manufactured by Samsung Launches

Published at: May 14, 2020

Samsung and SK Telecom, a South Korean mobile carrier, unveiled the world’s first 5G smartphone equipped with blockchain-powered ID authentication.

The phone, called “Galaxy A Quantum”, has a quantum random number generation chipset developed in partnership with Samsung Electronics. The phone’s initial price is 649,000 Korean won, or $527.54 USD, according to the announcement on May 14.

Blockchain-powered features incorporated

The company stated that the blockchain-powered system is utilized when users pay for goods and services at offline merchants with the SK Pay. Blockchain is also used to help prevent the falsification and theft of information stored on the phone. Another of the phone's major features is SK Pay biometric protection — a mobile blockchain authentication service.

The mobile carrier noted that the phone goes up for presale on May 15, with an official launch date of May 22.

The latest on blockchain phones development in Asia

South Korea has been a benchmark in the development of blockchain-powered phones. For example, Cointelegraph reported in 2019 that mobile giant LG was developing a blockchain phone in response to Samsung’s crypto-friendly Klaytn Phone.

Chinese sources reported in September 2019 that Huobi-invested startup, While Network, had launched its blockchain-powered smartphone, Acute Angle, in Southeast Asia.

HTC announced a phone in April that would have the option of mining Monero (XMR) through an app.

Tags
Related Posts
South Korean Shinhan Bank joins Klaytn’s blockchain governance council
Shinhan Bank, one of the largest banking institutions in South Korea, has entered into a partnership with Klaytn, a global blockchain platform developed by Kakao's subsidiary Ground X. According to the Monday announcement, Shinhan Bank has joined Klaytn’s blockchain governance council and become a member of the co-governance of the Klaytn blockchain. As part of the new partnership, Shinhan will be also involved in the development of Klaytn-based digital services to support fintech innovation. Launched in June 2019, Klaytn is a blockchain service provider focusing on integrating blockchain solutions into enterprise-grade infrastructures. The Klaytn blockchain is a hybrid blockchain network, …
Adoption / July 5, 2021
South Korea Might Soon be Spending Billions on Blockchain Development
The South Korean government plans to invest over $48.2 billion in Blockchain and other Industry 4.0 technologies by 2025. The nation’s goal is to promote the digitization of all industries in the coming post-pandemic era. According to ZDNet Korea, President Moon Jae-in praised “several benefits” that the new industrial revolution could bring to the country. Moon elaborated: “The fourth industrial revolution and digital civilization are the future of humanity that has already begun. The national development strategy to advance in the trend is the Korean version of the new deal. It is possible to jump from the older economy to …
Adoption / July 14, 2020
Blockchain Tech May Soon Fuel Medical Tourism in South Korea
In Busan, a private-public consortium in South Korea announced their intention to build a blockchain-powered medical tourism platform. No deadline for launch is currently set. According to Gyeongnam Ilbo, the initiative will be led by Busan Bank. They are looking to establish the platform within the second largest city of the country in terms of population. The group’s main goal is to strengthen the medical tourism sector. The consortium includes Pusan National University Hospital, Dong-A University Hospital, Gosin University Gospel Hospital, Samyuk Busan Hospital, and payment brokerage company Knet Co. Ltd. Banking services offered through the platform The agreement states …
Adoption / June 20, 2020
South Korea's Fintech Sandbox Creates 380 New Blockchain Jobs
South Korea’s regulatory sandbox has helped create almost 380 blockchain and other fintech jobs and generated around $110 million in investments. According to Shina Ilbo, the sandbox is overseen by the government's financial regulator, the Financial Services Commission, or FSC. It temporarily exempts companies from various regulations regarding financial services to aid with innovation and growth. The report said that 16 companies have been recognized for their growth potential, and attracted more than 136.4 billion won ($110 million) in new investments. Some of the companies participating in the government-sponsored program are pursuing business across 14 countries in Asia, including Indonesia, …
Adoption / May 15, 2020
Stablecoin Adoption Skyrockets in Rural South Korean Province
South Korea’s Buyeo County, located in the rural province of South Chungcheong, has been witnessing strong interest in a local blockchain-powered stablecoin since its creation in early 2019. According to a report published by Donga, most of the county’s population is made up of elderly residents. Census data indicates that around 75,000 people live there in total. In 2019, the county created a local token named “Goodtrae Pay” at a cost of over $267,000. Launched to increase contactless payments As of press time, around $48.5 million in tokens have been used in an effort to strengthen the adoption of contactless …
Adoption / July 28, 2020