Samsung launches an affordable phone with OIS camera in its home country

Samsung has launched a new affordable smartphone in South Korea. It is called the Galaxy Buddy 5, and it is a rebranded version of the Galaxy A17 5G, which debuted in other countries in August 2025.

Thanks to its large screen and IP54 rating, it can be a decent choice for teenagers getting their first phone or for elderly family members.

Exclusive to the LG Uplus network, the Galaxy Buddy 5 is priced at KRW 528,000 (approximately $351.77). It comes in Black, Blue, and Grey color options and is available in a single configuration featuring 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

Buyers who trade in their existing phone while buying the Galaxy Buddy 5 can receive up to KRW 20,000 (approximately $13) worth of Naver Pay points. Meanwhile, people trading in devices eligible for an additional trade-in bonus can get up to KRW 50,000 (approximately $33) worth of Naver Pay points.

The phone features a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-U display with Full HD+ resolution, up to a 90Hz refresh rate, and 800 nits of peak brightness. It is equipped with the 5nm Exynos 1330 processor and runs Android 16-based One UI 8.0 software. Samsung has promised to offer software updates to the Galaxy Buddy 5 for up to five years.

For optics, the smartphone has a 13MP front-facing camera, a 50MP primary rear camera with OIS, a 5MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP fixed-focus macro camera. It can record 1080p videos at 30fps. Additional hardware features include a side-mounted fingerprint reader and a single loudspeaker.

The Galaxy Buddy 5 supports sub-6GHz 5G networks. Other connectivity options include GPS, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and a USB 2.0 Type-C port. The device is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and supports 25W wired fast charging.