iPhone 12 and 12 Pro Launch in Korea on the 30th... Visiting Apple Store
Long Waiting Lines Disappear with Priority Entry for Online Reservations
High Purchase Rate Among 2030 Generation... 90% Choose iPhone 12 Pro
On the morning of the 30th, the day the iPhone 12 was released, people waiting in line are standing in front of the Apple Store Garosugil location, waiting to enter.
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] "I came at 1 a.m. and killed time at a PC bang and cafe."
On the 30th, when Apple's first 5G smartphones, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, were released, several customers lingered even before the Apple Store opened. Most were in their 20s and 30s. Unlike before, there was no overnight queue. This was due to the introduction of an online reservation system amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Customers who had their temperatures checked in a waiting area set up inside the store and received reservation numbers waited to enter with their heads down, wearing long padded jackets. The number of people waiting, which was five at 7 a.m., increased to more than ten around 8 a.m. The first purchaser, a woman in her 40s, visited the Apple Store with her children. Another buyer said, "I used a Galaxy S7, but I came from Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to buy the most popular model, the iPhone 12 Pro in Pacific Blue."
On the 30th, when Apple's first 5G smartphone, the iPhone 12 series, was officially released in Korea, a customer at the Apple Store on Garosugil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, is holding up the product. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
'Carrying the iPhone 12' - Mobile Carriers Compete
Mobile carriers also engaged in marketing competition. LG Uplus held an event called 'Meet at the Gap Z as You Like' at the complex cultural space 'Ilsangbi Ilsang-ui Teum' in Gangnam from 11 p.m. on the 29th, delivering iPhone usage tips, which was watched by 4,400 people on YouTube. SK Telecom held a contactless iPhone launch party at the multiplex 'T Factory' opened on Hongdae Street from 7:30 p.m. that day, featuring performances by singers and a drone performance unveiling the iPhone 12.
At LG Uplus's iPhone 12 launch event "Whenever There's a Gap, Z Freely," (from left) rapper DPR Live, broadcaster Yoo Byung-jae, and LG Uplus new employee Moon Hye-ri are taking a selfie with the iPhone 12 Pro.
Pre-order results for the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro showed an overwhelming preference for the iPhone 12 among women in their 20s and 30s. SK Telecom analyzed pre-order results from its official online store, revealing that women in their 20s and 30s accounted for half of the pre-orders. The iPhone 12 Pro accounted for 90% of the reservations, with Graphite and Pacific Blue colors each making up 30%. SK Telecom offered early bird benefits of dawn delivery and same-day delivery directly to customers' homes on the launch day of the iPhone 12, and these services were fully booked within one hour and three hours, respectively, after opening applications.
The official subsidy for the iPhone 12 is highest at 240,000 KRW from KT. By carrier, the subsidies are ▲SK Telecom 53,000 to 138,000 KRW ▲KT 63,000 to 240,000 KRW ▲LG Uplus 84,000 to 229,000 KRW. Based on 5G plans in the 80,000 KRW range, SK Telecom set a subsidy of 110,000 KRW, while KT and LG Uplus set 150,000 KRW. Apple and the three carriers will start pre-orders for the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max on November 13 and officially launch them on the 20th of the following month.
Samsung VS Apple, 5G Showdown
On the 30th, when Apple's first 5G smartphone, the iPhone 12 series, was officially released in Korea, customers were examining the products at the Apple Store on Garosugil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
The release of the iPhone 12 marks the beginning of a fierce competition between Apple and Samsung in the 5G smartphone market. Counterpoint expects 5G smartphones to account for 20% of total smartphone sales this year. The shipment volume of 5G smartphones is projected to increase from 278 million units this year to 544 million units next year. Samsung Electronics entered the 5G smartphone market two years ago and has secured market dominance by releasing a variety of smartphones ranging from foldable lineups to mid-range models. To respond to the smartphone market, which will grow to 500 million 5G phones next year, Samsung plans to release foldable phones at various price points and mid-range 5G smartphones tailored to regional characteristics.
Apple added the 'iPhone 12 mini,' which is close to an entry-level model, along with three flagship models with the launch of the iPhone 12. According to Counterpoint, although the iPhone 12 was released a month later, its cumulative sales by December are expected to increase by about 1% compared to the iPhone 11's sales from September to December last year. Analyst Lee Yoon-jung of Counterpoint said, "The launch of the iPhone 12 will revitalize the stagnant domestic smartphone market and support the recovery trend continuing into next year," adding, "Competition between Apple and Samsung will intensify further."
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