Samsung's unlocked Galaxy A42 5G goes on sale in the US (not a moment too soon)
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Given that Samsung managed to edge out Apple and thus regain the top spot in terms of overall worldwide smartphone shipments during the first quarter of 2021, it was certainly surprising to see the chaebol eclipsed by Oppo and Vivo in addition to its arch-rival as far as 5G handset sales reported in the same timeframe were concerned.
While there's not much else to do but wait for the likes of the Galaxy S21 FE, Z Fold 3, and Z Flip 3 to join the S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra in fighting the iPhone 12 family in the high-end arena later this year, the company continues to expand its already extremely competitive mid-range 5G device lineup in more and more places.
Granted, the Galaxy A42 5G is hardly an all-new phone, having originally seen daylight way back in September 2020. But until last month, no one could buy this affordable 6.6-inch model stateside, after which a relatively short period of Verizon exclusivity followed.
That ends today with the mid-ranger's expansion to Visible, which just so happens to be owned by Big Red, as well as an unusually quiet start of US unlocked sales. For the time being, the carrier-agnostic Samsung Galaxy A42 5G is available directly from its manufacturer's regional website, as well as Best Buy, although we fully expect other major retailers (like Amazon or B&H Photo Video) to also join the party before long.
Coated in black, gray, and white, the reasonably powerful and good-looking 5G-enabled handset is confusingly listed as "starting at $349.99/mo" at Best Buy. That should obviously read "starting at $349.99" period, and it means you can shave 50 bucks off the $399.99 list price right off the bat by activating the unlocked device on your US carrier of choice.
Meanwhile, Samsung is currently charging the full four Benjamins with absolutely no strings attached, which seems fair given the unlocked Galaxy A32 5G costs $280.
Both "new" A-series devices are undoubtedly among the very best budget 5G phones available today, but the A42 5G is considerably more powerful than its slightly smaller 6.5-inch brother while also offering twice the internal storage space and a fancier under-display fingerprint scanner.
Of course, before deciding to pull the trigger at $400, you may want to consider Verizon's awesome $5 a month deal amounting to a measly 120 bucks after two years.
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