Apple’s decision to include South Korea as one of the first countries to launch the iPhone 16 has generated significant buzz in the country. While Samsung Electronics still leads the smartphone market by a substantial share, the iPhone has been steadily gaining ground.
The increasing popularity of the iPhone in Korea appears to have influenced Apple’s shift in strategy. Additionally, the rise of consumer nationalism in China, the world’s largest market for iPhones, and the subsequent decline in Apple’s China sales also seem to have contributed to recent changes.
However, Korea was not included in the list of first-launch regions for new iPhone 16 models that feature Apple Intelligence, Apple’s artificial intelligence platform. Korean iPhone users will not have access to this feature until at least next year.
Apple unveiled on Sept. 9. the iPhone 16, which features a built-in AI system called Apple Intelligence. The new phones include AI-powered features such as writing tools to improve texts and notes, recording and summarizing calls, and creating emojis.
Korea was selected as one of the first countries to launch the iPhone for the first time. The iPhone 16 series will be available for pre-order starting Sept. 13. and in stores on Sept. 20, according to Apple.
Samsung Electronics’ market share in the domestic smartphone market reached 73% last year, while Apple’s stood at 25%, according to market research firm Counterpoint Research. Samsung’s market share fell by 2 percentage points from the previous year, while Apple’s rose by 3 percentage points. The iPhone 15 generated record sales in Korea last year, effectively contributing to Apple’s market share rise.
Meanwhile, Apple’s sales in China have been falling. In the second quarter of this year, Apple’s revenue in China dropped by 6.5% year-on-year to $14.7 billion. This decline is attributed to U.S. sanctions on Chinese telecommunications equipment and a growing preference for domestic products among Chinese consumers. Analysts suggest Apple is taking steps to recover lost sales in Asia by boosting sales in other Asian countries, such as including Korea as one of its first-launch countries.