Everyone doesn’t want an iPhone?
By Ki Mae Heussner
Everyone wants an iPhone, right? Especially now that the price has been slashed to $199?
Well, no, not exactly.
A BusinessWeek.com article published today lists the many reasons why South Koreans will have no problem resisting the iPhone’s charm.
And it’s not just the iPhone. Nokia is MIA and Google has had difficulties gaining traction in the country too.
South Korea is one of the most advanced mobile Internet markets in the world, and its tech-savvy customers are loyal to home-grown brands, such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.
Anticipating Apple’s announcement of its new iPhone, Samsung unveiled its own touchscreen smartphone less than 24 hours before Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the stage in San Francisco.
Samsung’s Omnia, like Apple’s iPhone, functions like a small handheld PC.
Korea’s regulatory environment also makes it unlikely that the iPhone will catch on there anytime soon. In 2005, the Seoul government made it mandatory for mobile-phonemakers and content providers to use a software standard for Internet access. This requirement has helped smaller companies develop Internet-related applications at lower costs. For the iPhone to penetrate the Korean market, it would have to develop a special phone that meets the country’s specifications.
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2 Comments
1. Everyone doesn’t want a&hellip replies at 13th June 2008 um 6:44 pm :
[…] Dan Ficker wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptEveryone wants an iPhone, right? Especially now that the price has been slashed to $199? iphone.jpg. Well, no, not exactly. A BusinessWeek.com article published today lists the many reasons why South Koreans will have no problem … […]
2. Everyone doesn’t want a&hellip replies at 13th June 2008 um 6:57 pm :
[…] Kim Heras wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptKorea’s regulatory environment also makes it unlikely that the iPhone will catch on there anytime soon. In 2005, the Seoul government made it mandatory for mobile-phonemakers and content providers to use a software standard for Internet … […]
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