South Korea Creates Favorable Environment for iPhone Use
Japan Prefers Smaller Smartphones... 12 and 13 Over 15
An analysis has revealed that the preferred iPhone models differ between Apple fans in Korea and Japan. Since the release of the iPhone 15 this year, sales have surged domestically, whereas in Japan, more people have been seeking used models of the iPhone 12 and 13 Mini, which were released several years ago.
On the 25th, foreign media including 9to5Mac cited recent data from the domestic market research firm Atlas Research & Consulting, reporting that the first-month sales of the iPhone 15 series in Korea increased by 41.9% compared to previous models.
In particular, sales of the most affordable standard model more than doubled compared to its predecessor. The highest-priced Pro Max model also saw a 42.3% increase in sales.
As demand for iPhones surged in the domestic market, expectations have arisen that Apple might advance the release schedule of new products in the Korean market.
Apple’s neglect of the Korean market has long been a subject of criticism, and new product launches have tended to be delayed due to issues such as radio certification. The iPhone 15 was released in Korea on October 13, while the first wave of countries including the U.S. began official sales on September 22, and the second wave started on September 29.
The surge in iPhone 15 sales is analyzed to be influenced by a steadily favorable environment created for the iPhone 15 series this year. Domestic mobile carriers have continuously encouraged sales through various subsidies and promotions, and the simple payment service ‘Apple Pay’ was also introduced in Korea.
One of the biggest weaknesses of the iPhone, call recording, has also become possible. SK Telecom added AI-based call recording and summarizing features to its AI service ‘Aidot (A.)’, enabling this functionality on iPhones as well. This means that iPhones now have features similar to those of Samsung Galaxy smartphones.
On the other hand, in Japan, where iPhones have traditionally been popular, demand for the iPhone 15 series did not show a significant increase.
In fact, during the week following the Japanese release date of the iPhone 15 series on September 22, sales of used iPhone 12 and 13 Mini models on secondhand trading platforms roughly doubled compared to the previous week.
Industry insiders see this as a sign that secondhand trading for mini models is becoming more active in the Japanese market than demand for the new iPhone models. Apple removed the iPhone 13 Mini from its official website immediately after the release of the iPhone 15 series.
9to5Mac analyzed this phenomenon by stating, “Due to Japanese consumers’ preference for smaller smartphones, demand for previously released models is increasing.”
Apple introduced large-screen 6.7-inch models like the Pro Max starting with the iPhone 14 series last year. Among all iPhones released so far, the only mini models with a 5.4-inch screen are the iPhone 12 and 13 series.
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