The iPhone in China One Month On
When it comes to Apple (AAPL) iPhone sales, it seems South Korea has got China beat.
A month after the iPhone’s somewhat tepid official launch in China, the iPhone made its debut in South Korea over the weekend, with 65,000 pre-orders taken. By way of comparison, carrier China Unicom said a few days after its launch that 5,000 iPhones had been sold. The company has not released updated figures since.
As in China, the iPhone has faced formidable obstacles in South Korea that account for its relatively late release. In Korea it is also tackling a market dominated by domestic heavyweights Samsung and LG. To compete, carrier KT Corp. is offering some attractive pricing options, ranging from free for the 32 gigabyte model with a two-year service contract at $115 per month, to $338 for the phone with a $38 monthly plan. KT says it expects to sell up to half a million iPhones in South Korea.
