Apple’s iPhone shipments dropped by 10 percent in Q1 2024, allowing Samsung to regain the top position for this quarter. Naturally, the technology giant would be eager to reclaim its place as the biggest global smartphone brand, and according to the latest report, it aims to achieve this by targeting its rival’s home market, South Korea, as one of the first regions for the iPhone 16 launch. With Samsung not expected to unveil its Galaxy S25 series until next year, it could give Apple the upper hand in the coming months.
Local mobile carriers are said to be working on the iPhone 16 launch in advance, as Apple reportedly informed them about its plans
Early iPhone launches have been taking place in mid-October, with The Elec now reporting that South Korean carriers have to work in advance on an execution plan and figure out marketing costs now that Apple has seemingly informed these entities about its supposed plan. The report states that several Korean officials have not denied that Samsung’s home market will be one of the first countries to witness the iPhone 16 launch, but they have not confirmed this information either.
Assuming that Apple does intend to enter South Korea with the iPhone 16 family first, sales in the region are expected to kick off in mid-September. With the iPhone 15 lineup, pre-orders of the four models kicked off on September 15, with the official release happening just a week later on September 22. In South Korea, which was the third country on Apple’s list at the time, launched the same models on October 13, making it three weeks behind.
On this occasion, Apple appears to be deliberate in its actions, as it may want to put a stop to Samsung’s momentum. During the Korean technology behemoth’s Q1 2024 earnings call, we reported that its Galaxy S24 was the driving force behind its 933 percent operating profit, with the three flagships making up 53 percent of the grand total. In addition to South Korea, we expect China to be one of Apple’s top priorities, and with Huawei’s resurgence, the iPhone 16 needs to sport compelling features to shift the momentum towards the California-based titan’s side.
Unfortunately, some analysts are skeptical of the iPhone 16 range, stating that the upcoming models will have lackluster upgrades, as there will be little to no differentiation between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15. Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple could suffer up to a 15 percent shipments decline this year for the same reason. Hopefully, the company has an ace up its sleeve that it reveals during the official announcement later this year.
News Source: ETNews
