5G smartphones have become a reality in South Korea

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Next time your South Korean friend says "I'm on 5G!", it may not be a joke anymore.

East Asia is leading in the commercialization of the 5G mobile network, and the world's first 5G-enabled smartphone launched in South Korea on Friday.

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G has made history as the first 5G smartphone, and is available on all three carriers: KT, SKT and LG U+.

The carriers also have 5G networks enabled, which means people can buy an S10 now and enjoy the total 5G experience. This is not the 5GE, or the hotspot-only service from AT&T. It's the real thing.

"I watch a lot of videos often, movies and lectures," buyer Shim Ji-hye, 38, told AFP. "I hope faster speeds will help me manage my time better."

Another user told AFP that he was most excited about virtual reality (VR) content – which includes games and even "celebrity VR dating" apps according to the country's mobile carriers.

With 5G, said researcher Lee Sang-yoon, VR content "can be enjoyed in real time with no delay... I'll be able to enjoy it in better resolution and speed."

The 5G network is also coming to China. But it's unlikely that the S10 5G will sell well in the country.

Chinese people are not fond of Samsung smartphones any more. Though the company sells the most phones in the world, the brand is disappearing in China.

Samsung's market share in China went down to nearly nothing in 2018. /Data from Statista

Check the statistics on market share from any source, you'll notice that Samsung is squeezed to the "Others" category while Apple preserved as the only foreign brand. The true big players are Huawei, Vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi.

These domestic brands are also launching 5G-enabled smartphones, some of which are even foldable.