Is iPhone's popularity in Korea this high? iPhone 15 sold 41% more than iPhone 14

Sales Increased by 41% Compared to Previous iPhone 14
Standard Model Up 130%, Pro Max Up 42%
Clear Preference Among Younger Generation, 'Apple Pay' and 'Call Recording' Also Popular

The popularity of the iPhone in Korea is soaring. The domestic sales of Apple's iPhone 15 series, released last month, have significantly surpassed those of its predecessor.

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

According to data from market research firm Atlas Research & Consulting on the 20th, the total sales of the iPhone 15 series during the first four weeks increased by 41.9% compared to the sales of the iPhone 14 during the same period last year. The sales of the base model iPhone 15 in the first four weeks after its release were 130.6% higher than those of the base model iPhone 14 during the same period. The Pro model sales increased by 14.2% compared to the iPhone 14. The Pro Max sales rose by 42.3%, and the Plus model sales grew by 28.2% compared to their predecessors.

Industry experts analyze that the preference for Apple is becoming more pronounced among the younger generation, and the increase in official subsidies from the three major telecom companies (SK Telecom, KT, LG Uplus) has been effective. Additionally, the addition of the 'Pay' and 'Call Recording' features, which were considered weaknesses for Apple in Korea, seems to have contributed to the surge in popularity. Apple Pay was introduced through Hyundai Card in March, and last month SK Telecom began supporting the 'Call Recording' feature via 'A.Dot'.

Meanwhile, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated in an interview with CNBC after announcing the Q3 earnings on the 2nd (local time), “The iPhone 15 in Q3 performed better than the iPhone 14 during the same period last year.”