iPhone to Hit Korean Market Next Week
Apple’s popular iPhone will hit the South Korean market next week, industry sources said Tuesday.
KT, South Korea’s second-largest mobile carrier, will release four service plans for the phone on Nov. 28, after Apple receives on Wednesday final approval from the Korea Communications Commission, according to sources close to the matter.
KT has been in talks with Apple aiming to win exclusive rights to sell the phone to local consumers.
The company in September submitted its expected iPhone rate plans to the commission. Monthly fees will range from 35,000 won (US$29.4) to 95,000 won, according to the sources.
All four plans include data transfer, text messaging, video and mobile-to-mobile calling. Users can choose an appropriate plan based on the amount of data they plan to send and receive each month. The most expensive package allows for data transfers via wireless Internet of up to 3,000 MB.
The iPhone’s arrival in South Korea is expected to spark fierce competition between mobile carriers.
As KT is expected to soon conclude the deal with Apple, market leader SK Telecom fears that KT’s exclusive sale of the iPhone, popular among younger tech-savvy customers, may erode its market share.
SK Telecom has made no decision about selling iPhones, the sources said.
YonhapNewsAgency
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Is this it? Is it truly finally going to happen? The media has been wrong on so many other occasions, I wonder if I can believe it. My friend even called KT’s English speaking service a couple of weeks ago, and they told him that it wouldn’t be out until late December or January.
Just checked Apple’s “Iphone Coming Soon” list, and I still don’t see any mention of South Korea…
Actually,KT`s spokesperson Young-ho Oh declined to confirm this news
Just a little update… My friend called the KT English speaking operator yesterday, and she told him that the iphone IS NOT coming next week. I find this strange, though, as I am seeing an increasing number of national newspapers/sources run stories saying that it is. I even read that pre-order may start today, but I haven’t seen anything yet on the KT website.
Got my fingers crossed, but am not expecting very much…
Thanks Ian,
Important thing is iPhone will be released soon in Korea with Wi-Fi connectivity. You know, in China, iPhone has no Wi-Fi.
Please check this updated news : Korean Watchdog Approves Sale of Apple’s iPhone
Seong-ju
Or you could wait for iPhone 4, which should be available by the time KT and Apple reach an agreement.
At last, Iphone will be in market from this weekend.
KT is now taking reservations since the last weekend, 11-22-2009.
And So far, KT got more than 50,000 reservations.
(Their reservations no. started around 80,000 and now it is exceeded 130,000 today)
It’s the greatest record for all foreign handsets in Korean history.
Almost all Korean IT gadget internet sites are mad to talk about Iphone now.