Up to 276,000 KRW Including Additional Distribution Network Support Funds
[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] As pre-orders for the iPhone 14 began on the 30th, the official subsidies from the three major mobile carriers were announced to be up to 240,000 KRW.
According to the telecommunications industry on the 30th, the iPhone 14 series, which started pre-orders that day, was assigned official subsidies ranging from 50,000 KRW to 240,000 KRW.
SK Telecom offers between 74,000 KRW and 137,000 KRW depending on the plan. KT provides 50,000 KRW to 240,000 KRW, and LG Uplus offers 87,000 KRW to 229,000 KRW. The official subsidies for the iPhone 14, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max are the same. These announced subsidies are preliminary and may change after the release.
Additionally, up to 15% extra distribution network subsidies can be received on top of the official subsidies. For example, with KT, if you use a 130,000 KRW monthly plan, you can receive a total of 276,000 KRW, including the 240,000 KRW official subsidy plus an additional 36,000 KRW subsidy.
The retail prices for the iPhone 14 from the three carriers are as follows for the 128GB model: the base model is 1,243,000 KRW, Plus is 1,342,000 KRW, Pro is 1,540,000 KRW, and Pro Max is 1,749,000 KRW. The most popular iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max can be purchased for 1,264,000 KRW and 1,473,000 KRW, respectively.
The official subsidies for the iPhone 14 are similar to those of the previous model released last year. This is less than half of the subsidies offered for Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Fold4 and Flip4, which were released in August. Depending on the carrier and plan, the Fold4 and Flip4 received subsidies ranging from 156,000 KRW to 650,000 KRW at launch.
Given the 'stingy' official subsidies, it seems more advantageous to choose the selective contract option that offers a 25% discount on the monthly fee instead of the official subsidy when purchasing.
The three carriers will continue pre-orders for the iPhone 14 series until the 6th of next month. The iPhone 14 will be released on the 7th.
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