The phablet will only be available at Partner

Communications for NIS 4,000.

LG Corporation (KSX: 3550) today launched its G Flex curved smartphone in Israel with Orange franchisee Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR). The launch was fairly rapid compared with many countries.

Customers wanting to buy the phablet with the 6-inch screen will find that it will only be available at Orange for NIS 4,000 in a few weeks, because of the agreement between the carrier and LG’s official importer Ronlight Digital Ltd.

An exclusive launch with a carrier is normal practice, but the fact that Ronlight is not selling the G Flex through LG’s sales channels is regressing the market to the time when the carriers controlled the smartphone market. This reduces competition and raises prices. Customers who do not want to buy the phablet through Orange will be able to purchase it at mobile equipment stores for NIS 500 less, but through parallel imports.