KTF is currently in negotiations with Apple to introduce the the iPhone in Korea. No word on when it will be introduced, only that KTF is waiting for a response from Apple on whether it will proceed or not. Apple Korea however refused to confirm the talks saying that “it is against company policy to comment on ongoing events”.
If the iPhone is sold in Korea, it will run on the WCDMA platform, and most probably will bring in a breadth of fresh air into the Korean mobile telecom industry.
Let’s hope the talks go well enough to enable the introduction of the iPhone sometime next year. I for one will glady trade in my Samsung mobile for the iPhone.
19 Comments
robert, your blog is turning into a 행사장 for commercial products.
I especially like the fact that the google ads which have sleuthed out the content of the post and are now providing us pictures of the iPhone. Next time my firm is promoting some products, do you mind if I make a post here?
Gotta pay the bandwidth somehow.
Sure… as long as you pay for the advertising
iPhone will be great for Apple’s business in Korea. Their computer unit sales growth in Korea has been strong already, but the early returns from the iPhone in America have been amazing: Mac laptop market share has shot from 12% to 17%.
Because iPhone runs OS X, it’s an easily-digestible “taster” for what it’s like to use a Mac.
Plus, iPhone’s Safari browser-in-the-pocket will — okay, should — motivate Korean web designers and the architects of e-commerce authentication solutions to stop designing solely for Internet Explorer.
One possible downside is that iPhone will take a lot of flak at the beginning for “compatibility problems”: My iPhone is crap. It doesn’t work with Korea’s challenging Internet environment.
There are ads on this blog???
Step into an ad blocker. And if that doesn’t work, add a line or two to your ‘hosts’ file to kill those pesky bits of worthless viewing before they even hit your computer.
But there’s nothing wrong with championing a little waft of fresh air into any Korean market—and Apple is much needed fresh air here.
I love the idea of it, I just worry about the implementation.
@ Brendon, challenging is putting it lightly - the internet environment in Korea is a disaster. Proprietary, Windows-only banking software. Widespread use of Active X even after support for it was removed from Vista. This means that Korean websites don’t work right on my PC at work that has Active X disabled or my iMac at home.
My other concern is on pricing. It will likely be seen as a premium product and priced accordingly. Carrier subsidies are also lower than in the US, so I could see it retailing for between KRW 800,000 and 1,000,000, similiar to the Prada Phone.
#6 -
If the iPhone is priced higher here, it won’t have anything to do with lower carrier subsidies: one of Apple’s contract demands in the U.S. was no carrier subsidy.
#1,
I think this post is a test to see if the content of the blog has any influence on the selection of products being advertised in the banner.
Robert, I totally support the Google ads. I was actually just bitching again (sorry…) about the posts flogging products. First we’re treated to a promotion for a distribution company’s movie, then it’s a plug for Apple, who of all companies in this world clearly doesn’t need any more free advertising. And then I noticed that because of the subject, the Google ads had done their job and targeted us with eyephone ads. So I thought I’d mention it, for what it’s worth.
I know. Actually, I was just fucking around with you.
It is rather neat how the ads change depending on the post, though.
I heart iPhone. Stop by the Apple corporate offices in COEX tower and voice your support!
It is rather neat how the ads change depending on the post, though.
Neat? You don’t even want to know what I saw on Vladmir’s gay icon post.
Somewhat on topic. If your work doesn’t allow you to view documents containing the word “shit” or crude drawings of pirates with giant family jewels, clicking not recommended.
http://www.thebestpageintheuni.....i?u=iphone
Apple Korea doesn’t have anything to do with it. You don’t think they want iPhone yesterday?
#13 -
Ah, good ol’ Maddox. Incidentally, the Nokia phone he raves about and the iPhone have one big thing in common: neither is available in Korea. As the Korea Times article referenced in the OP points out, “even Nokia, the world’s largest handset maker, is not selling any of its products in the country.”
They used to at least, but it was a phone made specifically for the Korean market, and I am not sure there was a successor to this phone — which my wife used to own.
OTOH, Nokia had — and possibly still has — a large production unit in Korea… for GSM phones!
Apparently some folks have been able to unlock the iPhone so that it can be used with other carriers.
# 17,
Here is the 17 year old smarty pants himself explaining it on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....t%2Ecom%2F
Okie,
It’s late on a Friday night here in the U.S. Pacific Coast.
Enjoy fellas…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....mp;search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....mp;search=