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November 21, 2009
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| KT Corp., the Korean distributor of Apple Inc.’s iPhone, is shooting for total sales of 500,000 units of the smartphone slated to hit the local market next week, an analyst said yesterday. KT, Korea’s second-largest mobile carrier, is scheduled to begin local sales of the world’s most popular multimedia handset on Nov. 28. The launch comes after Apple received regulatory approval Wednesday. “KT insiders expect 100,000 to 500,000 units of the iPhone will be sold on the domestic market,” Hwang Sung-jin, an analyst at Prudential Investment and Securities Co. said in a research note. Despite KT’s rosy outlook, analysts are divided over whether the iPhone will become a hit in Korea, he said. The iPhone failed to win the hearts and minds of consumers in other Asian markets. According market data, some 200,000 units of the iPhone were sold within two months of its launch last year in Japan, one of the world’s most advanced mobile markets. Since its debut on Oct. 30, 2009, only 30,000 units have been sold in China. Hwang predicted that the success of the iPhone in South Korea will hinge on KT’s rate plans. Yonhap |
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