Samsung vs. Apple

Korean iPhone lovers may soon be able to get their hands on the globally popular gadget as KT plans to start pre-sales around Nov. 28, before its official launch early next month, KT sources said yesterday.

The much-awaited handset is expected to compete directly with Samsung Electronics` flagship smartphone, T Omnia 2, and Android phones, which are slated for launch next year.

Samsung, which lost its smartphone battle with Apple overseas, appears to be determined to defend its home turf from the iPhone. The company rolled out a series of smarpthones last month.

Samsung`s flagship smartphone T Omnia 2 is fast gaining popularity since its launch, with 650 units sold on daily average. The T Omnia 2 is armed with localized services such as mobile TV that the iPhone does not deliver. Ominia 2 supports digital multimedia broadcasting - a feature loved by consumers, and divix, which means users do not have to convert video files into playable format to watch videos on the phone.



Absence of localized features may hold back consumers from buying the iPhone, despite its easy user interface and plethora of available applications, analysts said.

The Omina also has some better specifications, featuring a 5 mega pixel camera versus iPhone`s 3 mega pixel camera, and a longer battery life and a large screen, as well as a faster processor.

The mandatory data plans for the iPhone may also discourage users to buy the gadget, analysts said.

Talk has circulated for over two years that the iPhone may reach the Korean market soon, fueling expectations about the handset.

But analysts doubted whether the initial buzz of the sought-after gadget would be long lived in the country, where foreign handset makers including Motorola, Sony Ericsson have fared poorly, overwhelmed by local rivals Samsung and LG.

Analysts said the initial sales of the iPhone will be strong because of the pent-up demand, but the enthusiasm will fizzle out.

"There are a lot of pent-up demand for the iPhone. It will be able to get the limelight initially, but that will not last long," S.R. Kwon, an analyst at Hana Daetoo Securities, said.

"We don`t care whether the iPhone is introduced in Korea or not. It`s not a big deal," he said.

It seems too early to predict iPhone sales in Korea, but analysts said one thing seems to be clear: The iPhone is expected to invigorate the local smartphone market. Ahead of the widely-expected iPhone launch, local mobile carriers are scrambling to launch competitive smartphones and mobile data plans, a move seen to stave off the challenge expected from the iPhone.

(hjjin@heraldm.com)



By Jin Hyun-joo