Buyers respond enthusiastically to iPhone 4 debut

[splendidlure.livejournal.com]

By Cho Jin-seo

It’s not their home turf but then again, to Apple, its iPhone knows no borders. More than 120,000 Koreans struggled on jammed Internet servers to place orders for the iPhone4 through its Korean vendor KT on the first day of sales Wednesday.

Samsung Electronics and SK Telecom have used a lull caused by Apple’s quirky marketing tactic of delaying the iPhone4’s Korean debut, to sell the former’s Galaxy S in large numbers.

SKT officials put on a brave face on the overwhelming orders for the new Apple product downplaying it as an initial action. By any standard, all hell is breaking loose for companies involved, meaning buyers will be able to enjoy the benefits of this competition.

This explosive pace of pre-order sign-ups confirms that Apple has become one of the most powerful brands in Korea, despite various publicity problems such as the phone’s antenna performance and unpopular customer service policies.

It also shows that the Koreans, known for their quick temper and adaptability, are now fully embracing multi-tasking smartphones as a natural part of their life only nine months after the launch of the iPhone’s previous version ― Twitter, mobile games, and shorter e-mails are byproducts of the iPhone boom.

“I really appreciate this enormous support from our customers, and I also apologize for the discomfort caused by the ordering system. We will do our best for flawless delivery of the product,” Pyo Hyun-myong, chief of KT’s mobile business, said on his Twitter account.

KT is the exclusive provider of the iPhone handsets here. Pyo himself is one of many in Korea who began to use Twitter with the launching of iPhone late last year.

Apple, as usual, kept its calm. “We are thrilled to work with KT for the launch of the iPhone4 in Korea in September,” was the firm’s only official statement that came through its spokesman Wednesday.

In some aspect, the popularity of the iPhone4 in Korea even trumps that in the United States. Apple received some 600,000 orders on the first day of pre-orders there. Considering Korea’s population is only about one sixth of that of the United States, 120,000 orders here is more appreciable than the first-day sales in America.

Market analysts were impressed, though KT’s stock price rose only 0.46 percent on the day.

“This result exceeded the stock market’s expectation,” said Park Jong-soo of Hanwha Securities. “Increasing marketing costs on smartphones are likely to be an issue to be solved for KT, but in the long term the iPhone4 is definitely good news for them.”
Apple and KT plan to deliver the devices to customers from around Sept. 1.

The only glitch of the day was the server jam early in the morning. KT started receiving orders at 6 a.m. Many iPhone fans at once stormed the server at one time, partly because the company had said it would hand out launching-party invitations to the first 10,000 customers.

Many complained that the website didn’t work properly until 8 a.m., and then remained slow throughout the day. By 10 a.m., more than 60,000 signed up. At 12 a.m., the tally exceeded 100,000.

The first-day order easily broke the record high for first-day mobile phone preorders in Korea. With the previous model, the iPhone3G, KT had received 65,000 pre-orders over five days in October ― the record high for Korea at the time. With the iPhone4, the firm got the same amount in only three hours.

According to stock market analyst, KT spends up to 550,000 won in subsidies on every iPhone it sells, because Apple does not give discounts by itself. The firm will have to cut the subsidy in order to meet local regulations ― mobile providers cannot spend more than 22 percent of revenue from phone services on handset subsidies. KT is close to that limit, Park said.
source: www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2010/08/123_71631.html

Comments

[aunts.livejournal.com]

good can someone tell them to fix the hell out of basically ALL their LG merchandise?

oh and as for the iPhone 4, lol I may get this once my contract is up, but what is this I'm hearing about it only working with right-handed people?

[dorkiilove.livejournal.com]

it has to do with the way you hold the phone.

if you plan to hold the phone in a remotely normal way, than get ready for 0- shitty reception from it

[http://users.livejournal.com/_pinkfish/]

No that's not true. People have been bitching about the reception, but it's really not that bad. I have it for a week and a half now, and yeah, you have to hold it a certain way so you don't touch the signals, but that's it. Also, I bought a silicone case yesterday which helps with the problem. With that case you can hold it any way you like without losing reception. Also, the iPhone 4 itself is pretty soft and thus slippery, a case can help with more grip in your hands, so you don't drop it as well.
Until September 30th Apple gives away one case per customer, you can get this by installing a special iPhone4 app. But it takes ages for it to be shipped out. If you've already bought a case you can get your money back, because Apple does acknowledge the issue.

Anyway, hope you get the iPhone4 soon. It's a great phone, and compared to the older ones so much better in so many ways. <3

iphone5

[ohmysweetlove.livejournal.com]

someone told me that a trustworthy source said that the iphone5 is tentatively coming out in january--and it will have fixed the iphone4 signal problem as well as other glitches, and that the iphone5 will accompany the release of the white iphone.

[dorkiilove.livejournal.com]

the iPhone is a piece of overpriced shit.

[dorkiilove.livejournal.com]

and at&t service is just plain shitty.
this is coming from a at&t user.

[rikayla.livejournal.com]

samsung galaxy s > iphone 4, kthxbai.

[dorkiilove.livejournal.com]

people who buy iphone 4 buy it for the "apple" tag. not for the features. there are tons of smartphones out there with better features than the iphone and cost less.

amazes me why people even buy the iPhone 4

[szayel-in-love.livejournal.com]

hi, just asking,,,, are you really sure that samsung galaxy s is way better than iphone4? since i'm planning to buy iphone4 when its out in the philippine market.. and since its not yet available here in our country, it may give me alot of time to think through it.., and also my brother who is in japan right now is also planning to buy his iphone4 there..

i need inputs guys.. thanks...

[gunsandsmoke.livejournal.com]

i hate touchscreen phones :c i hope flip phones don't get phased out. i know they're like reigning king 4eva in japan but in korea it's like half and half

[qrizta.livejournal.com]

Can't agree more... I like physical keyboard far better.
Maybe I'm just behind in technology but new techs never appeal much to me.
They gave me headache n most of them are more fragile for a reckless user like me. lol

[queefing.livejournal.com]

for a derpy sec there i thought there was a new girl group called iphone... was all guuuuuuuuurl your underweight flatassess are gonna be sued.

[splendidlure.livejournal.com]

Blackberry is out of the competition. It's all about the Droid or HTC now.

[remy-hahn.livejournal.com]

They need to get into the whole touch screen ordeal. :/

I love my Blackberry Bold though. :)

[splendidlure.livejournal.com]

iphone 4 reviewed the best cell phone:
http://alatest.com/reviews/cell-phone-reviews/c3-8/

[dorkiilove.livejournal.com]

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-ignores-consumer-reports-iphone-4-review/


consumer reports can't even endorse the iphone 4.

[dulces.livejournal.com]

hmm the iphone 4 is over hyped, but I like mines.

[royalantares.livejournal.com]

But Korean phones make the iPhone 4 look outdated. OMG VIDEO CHATTING? Oh wait...
Plus, you can only do it with another iPhone 4 user and my friend said you need wifi (it doesn't work with the internet that comes with the package).

[enoa03.livejournal.com]

Thinking of upgrading my Samsung Corby to Samsung Galaxy S or the new Blackberry Torch. I can't decide...

[rikayla.livejournal.com]

Galaxy S, bb.

[annanuna.livejournal.com]

shit, I don't have enough money to burn

[peachinlabel.livejournal.com]

ppl who use iPhones are just pretentious asses nowadays. i still don't get the cult.

android and samsung, yo.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_pinkfish/]

Err thanks. Not everyone using iPhone is like that.
Believe me, I used to think like that as well. But, now that I have an iPhone, I'm glad I got it. And I didn't get it because it's oh my gosh Apple, I got it because it seemed like a great phone. Which it is.

But this will always be a point of discussion.
Windows-fans don't understand why Apple-fans love Apple so much and call them arrogant, and Apple-fans don't understand why Windows-fans love Windows, because to them it seems like crap.
I've always used Windows until a few months ago, and I'm glad to say that I've switched from Windows to Mac. My laptop is such a fast baby. <3 xD

[kiwilovekiwi.livejournal.com]

I have a normal flip phone. lame, right? lol. I used to have a touch screen (htc mogul) but after my contract expired I just went straight to a simple no contract phone. It's real shitty but since I only use it to talk I figured I don't need all the other gizmos. I think people that buys iphones are really more into the status symbol rather than its usability. I admit they do look cool.

thoughts on the iphone4

[ohmysweetlove.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if there are better phones available to U.S. consumers but apart from its functions and features, i feel that more than any other phone out there, the iphone serves as a status symbol--esp in asian countries

i think touchscreen may turn some people off at first but i think most users would find it pretty user friendly once they get used it.

for a weekend, i hung out with my friend who has the iphone4, and i got pretty reliant on it. so i'm planning to get one. but i mean, the phone i have now is just a basic one.

this sounds like a paid testimonial