Galaxy A8 (2018) pre-orders kick off in South Korea, on sale starting January 5

According to the Korea Herald, Samsung’s latest mid-range phone, the Galaxy A8 (2018), is now up for pre-order from at least one of South Korea’s major carriers. KT (Korea Telecom) is taking pre-orders starting today, with the handset priced at 599,500 won (roughly $565). The carrier will be offering a few discounts based on the subscription chosen by the consumer, which is well and good given the high price tags attached to the new Galaxy A handsets.

The A8 (2018) is priced higher in South Korea compared to Vietnam, where Samsung had confirmed the device would be available for slightly less than $500. Of course, there’s a reason Samsung is targeting higher prices this time around. The A8 and A8+ come with many firsts, both for the company’s mid-range segment and the entire smartphone lineup as well. There is dual (16MP + 8 MP) front cameras, the beautiful Infinity displays, support for Samsung’s Gear VR headset, a powerful chipset under the hood, and more on offer, so it’s unsurprising that consumers will have to part with a lot more dough to get either of the A8 phones.

Regular sales in South Korea begin on January 5

The general release date for South Korea is set for February 5, a day ahead of the A8 and A8+’ release in Vietnam. Release dates for other regions remain unknown for now, although Samsung’s regional arms will be making availability details in the future. The A8+ (2018) doesn’t look to be on pre-order in Samsung’s home country just yet, but that is likely to change once the smaller A8 goes on sale.