Foxconn to launch first Sharp smartphone in Korea

[THE INVESTOR] Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group is launching its first smartphone under the Sharp brand in Korea, according to industry sources on June 18.



SK Telecom, the nation's largest telecom carrier, will start selling the Aquos S3, the latest model of Sharp's flagship Aquos S series, from later this month, they noted.







Sharp's Aquos S3





“This is the first time that Sharp is launching its smartphone in Korea,” an SK Telecom executive told ET News. “Despite high-end features, the price is affordable at around 300,000 won.”



The Aquos S3 is priced at about 390,000 won (US$353) in Korea, which compares to about 450,000 won in other markets. SK Telecom will sell the phone online only but plans to diversify the sales channels depending on demand.



Foxconn, the manufacturer of Apple’s iPhone, acquired Japan’s Sharp back in 2016 and launched the smartphone brand Aquos S. The firm also teamed up with SK Telecom to launch the Korean telecom carrier's popular budget phone Luna in 2015-2016.



The Aquos S3, running on the Android OS, features a notched design like the iPhone X, a 6-inch LCD display, dual rear cameras with 12-megapixel sensor, a front-facing camera with a 16-megapixel sensor and fingerprint and face recognition sensors.



By Choi Jae-pil (jpchoi@etnews.com)

This story was co-produced by ET News and The Investor.