According to the latest report, iPhone 15 is very popular in Samsung’s home market, South Korea.
According to data from market tracking agency Atlas Research and Consulting, the sales of the latest iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in the first month after they were officially launched in South Korea on October 13 were higher than last year’s iPhone sales. Series 14 grew 41.9% over the same period.
Among them, sales of the smaller and cheaper iPhone 15 more than doubled, while sales of the most expensive iPhone 15 Pro Max also increased by 42.3%.
In the past, patriotism was considered an important factor in Korean consumers choosing Samsung over Apple, but the report notes that this factor is now less prominent.
One factor behind increased iPhone sales in South Korea this year is believed to be more discounts from carriers, making expensive devices more affordable, with Apple Pay also cited as a factor boosting sales.
Additionally, one of the reasons locals in South Korea used to choose Samsung phones no longer applies. Samsung’s mobile app has always included a call recording feature, a very welcome feature that’s not available on the iPhone. However, the country’s operator SK Telecom last month offered a call recording feature through its own iPhone app.
The surge in demand for iPhones has also led some to wonder whether Apple will elevate its launch priority in South Korea from the third tier to the second tier. The iPhone 15 series was released in the United States and more than 40 other countries on September 22, with the second-tier countries on sale on September 29, and South Korea on October 13, which belongs to the third-tier countries.
However, it is noticed that Japan seems to be less interested in the latest iPhone series. Japanese consumers tend to choose smaller phones, and this year’s new models appear to be driving sales of older mini models.
Japan’s Nikkei reported that sales of the iPhone 12 and 13 Mini in Japan more than doubled in the first week of the new iPhone 15’s release. Since Apple has stopped selling the Mini models on its official website, the report claims that Japanese consumers are turning to online second-hand stores to buy the phones.
At the same time as the iPhone 15 was released, Apple removed the iPhone 13 mini from its official website.
