Kakao, the South Korean company responsible for the messaging app, KakaoTalk, seems to have surprised the mobile ecosystem with the launch of its smartphone. The phone is called the Stage 5G and it’s made in partnership with Infomark, a South Korean smartphone maker and developed by Stage Five, the 5G partner of Kakao.

By all accounts, the Stage 5G is equipped with some flagship hardware, including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset. Further, it features a 6.47-inch AMOLED display with a “waterfall design”, as well as a notch on the display forehead.

In terms of memory and storage, the phone reportedly has 6GB RAM and a 128GB internal storage capacity. Which is also expandable via a microSD card slot by up to 2TB of storage. The Stage 5G also seems devoid of a 3.5mm headphone jack, if the product images are anything to go by.

Camera-wise, the Stage 5G’s main camera features a triple-sensor setup that includes 48MP main sensor, a 20MP wide-angle lens with a 125° degree viewing angle and an 8MP telephoto lens. For its selfie camera, the sensor is rated at 20MP.

The Stage 5G also comes with a 4000mAh battery, plus support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+ feature. More importantly, the phone is charged via the on-board USB-C port. Kakao did not specify if the Stage 5G will have its own UI, but it did say that the phone will run Android 9.0 Pie out of the box.

Considering that this would be the messaging brand’s first smartphone, it’s only natural to expect the phone to come pre-installed with apps such as KakaoPay, KakaoT, KakaoNavi, and KakaoPage. Further, the app will be available directly from the smartphone’s lock screen for easier navigation.

Lastly, the Stage 5G will only be available in one colour, and that colour appears a light blue variant. The phone will be priced at 814,000 won (~RM2915) and seems like it will only be available in South Korea. On that note, we wouldn’t hold our breathe for the phone arriving on our shores.

(Source: StageFive via ZDNet)