[Report] 'Half Employees, Half Customers'... No Homelessness or Open-Run at iPhone 15 Launch

Official Launch Event for iPhone 15 Series
Calm Storefront... 50 People Lined Up Before Opening
Some Receive Products at Midnight Through Pre-Orders

Apple holds activation events every year when launching new iPhones. In the past, many people would stay overnight for 'open runs' to get their devices earlier than others. In 2017, there was even a customer who camped out for 6 nights and 7 days. However, as the time between online payment and delivery has significantly shortened, such scenes have disappeared. Ordering online allows customers to receive the product even before going to the store.

On the morning of the 13th at 10:30 AM, the Apple Store Myeongdong branch located in Jung-gu, Seoul, saw no more long lines in front of the store, a scene that had been common due to online pre-order purchases for the iPhone 15 series launch.
[Photo by Oh Yugyo]

The official launch event for the iPhone 15 series in Korea, held on the 13th at the Apple Store in Myeongdong, Seoul, reflected this atmosphere. Although it was a special year marking the 15th anniversary of the iPhone's arrival in Korea, the waiting line at the official opening time around 8 a.m. was only about 50 people. The number of Apple staff supporting the event on-site was about the same. To exaggerate a little, it was 'half staff, half customers.' Thanks to this, customers who came to the site were able to receive product explanations and guidance almost on a one-on-one basis.

The official 'first activation' customer was Kim Minjae (26), a university student from Junggye-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul. The staff waiting at the Apple Store greeted Kim with applause and cheers. Kim arrived around 6 a.m. by taking the first subway train. He came to buy the iPhone 15 Pro in Natural Titanium color and said, "I have been using only iPhones since the iPhone 4," adding, "I have high expectations because the weight is about 19g lighter than the previous model and there is a new Action Button." Regarding the recent heating issue, he showed strong trust in the iPhone. He said, "I think it is a problem with the initial batch, and it will improve in the future, so I don't worry much about it."

On the 13th, the official domestic release date of the iPhone 15 series, customers are experiencing the products at the Apple Store Myeongdong in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Including Kim, the first 15 customers on-site took 'certification shots' with their products. They took photos with the staff's comment, "Congratulations on officially receiving the iPhone the fastest in Korea." There were also quite a few office workers who stopped by before going to work. Chandu (28), an Indian engineer working at LG Electronics, said, "I came to pick up the device in person because my workplace is nearby," adding, "I have been using iPhones for 8 years, and I am especially looking forward to the improved image quality this time." He purchased the iPhone 15 Pro Max in Natural Titanium color.

The officially released products that day were the four models of the iPhone 15 series: iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max, as well as the Apple Watch Series 9. They landed in Korea exactly one month after the product unveiling on the 13th of last month. Many customers showed great interest in the camera quality. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is equipped with an upgraded optical zoom lens, increasing from 3x to 5x. The optical zoom lenses of the base iPhone 15 and 15 Plus were also improved from 1x to 2x. Another difference from the previous model is the addition of a new physical button called the 'Action Button.' Pressing the Action Button allows direct access to specific functions (such as camera shooting or flashlight) from the lock screen. It is also notable that USB Type-C was adopted for the first time.

On the 13th, the official domestic release date of the iPhone 15 series, customers are experiencing the products at the Apple Store Myeongdong in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

The three major carriers did not hold separate activation events. Instead, they emphasized 'fastest delivery' for pre-order customers. SK Telecom offered a service allowing customers to receive their devices at their desired location on the launch day or pick them up at a nearby store. KT started 'dawn delivery' at midnight on launch day, focusing on the metropolitan area and five major metropolitan cities. LG Uplus provided 'night delivery' to help customers receive their devices quickly. This meant that customers received their products even before those who went to offline stores. In fact, from midnight on the 13th, numerous posts confirming receipt of the iPhone 15 flooded various online communities.

According to pre-order results, the popularity ranking was iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, 15, and 15 Plus. The retail prices are 1,250,000 KRW for the iPhone 15, 1,350,000 KRW for the Plus, 1,550,000 KRW for the Pro, and 1,900,000 KRW for the Pro Max. KT stated, "Overall sales volume has slightly increased compared to the previous model." By color, Natural Titanium and White Titanium were the most popular for the 15 Pro and Pro Max, while Pink and Blue were the favorites for the 15 and 15 Plus. Meanwhile, the Korea Communications Commission warned the day before, "There have been fraudulent sales through false and exaggerated advertisements ahead of the iPhone 15 launch," urging caution by saying, "If the price is excessively cheap, you should suspect a scam."