Forward-looking: Think your 5G phone has the most cutting-edge technology out there? Well, here comes a handset with quantum tech. The futuristic-sounding device is the issue of a partnership between Samsung and South korea's SK Telecom, and is the world'southward beginning 5G smartphone with a quantum random number generator (QRNG) chipset.

Aptly named the Milky way A Breakthrough, the device is actually a rebranded Galaxy A71 5G—one of Samsung's pop mid-range handsets that launched before this year. Powered by the Exynos 980 SoC, the telephone has a 6.vii-inch OLED screen, in-brandish optical finger sensor, and a quad-lens photographic camera setup.

What sets the breakthrough version autonomously from the regular A71 is its inclusion of the QRNG chipset, which makes information technology incredibly secure. Random numbers are an essential chemical element in many security systems, only they're not always as random equally i might call up, making them vulnerable to hacks.

Image credit: ID Quantique

The QRNG chipset, which is split from the SoC, contains a low-cal-emitting diode and an image sensor. ID Quantique explains that thanks to quantum noise, the LED emits a random number of photons. These are captured and counted by the image sensor'due south pixels, providing a series of random numbers that are fed to a random chip generator algorithm, thereby further distilling the "entropy of quantum origin" to create completely unpredictable random $.25.

By pairing the organisation with a compatible online service, the connexion is unhackable, claims SK Telecom, though it only works with the company'due south services right at present. The firm said that going forward, it "will expand its footprint in the quantum security business past integrating QRNGs to more devices and networks."

The Galaxy A Quantum will go along auction May 22 in South korea for around $530. In that location's no word on whether it will launch in other regions.