Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro series officially launched in South Korea on the 18th, prompting the country’s three mobile carriers to step up their battle to attract premium-phone customers. The three carriers are seeking to draw as much replacement demand as possible by highlighting common subsidies, used-phone compensation and device upgrade programmes.

This year’s iPhone sales campaign is expected to follow a different pattern from previous years. Apple’s first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, is set for release next month. With demand split between the iPhone 18 Pro and those waiting for the Duo, competition among the three carriers over the new iPhone models is expected to continue through next month.

PRICE RISE, BUT STRONG EARLY RESPONSE; PRE-ORDERS FOCUS ON PRO MODEL

SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus have begun sales of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max and started activating devices for pre-order customers. Some had forecast the new launch would have a limited impact because prices are higher than the previous model. In South Korea, the iPhone 18 list price starts at 1.99 million won for the Pro and 2.19 million won for the Pro Max for the 256GB model. Each is 200,000 won more expensive than the previous model.

Contrary to those concerns, early responses after launch have been hotter than expected. A compilation of pre-order results from the three carriers suggests replacement demand for the new iPhone has not weakened significantly despite the price increase. KT said pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max increased from the previous iPhone 17 Pro series.

At the same time, reservations were concentrated in the relatively cheaper Pro model, showing consumers are more sensitive to purchasing high-priced devices. At all three carriers, the Pro accounted for a higher share of reservations than the Pro Max. At LG Uplus, however, among Pro Max buyers, the share choosing higher-capacity models of 512GB or more was 51.5 percent, higher than the Pro’s 38.2 percent, indicating a clear preference for higher specifications among buyers of top-tier models.

FIRST FOLDABLE DUO WAITS IN THE WINGS; WILL NEW IPHONE DEMAND SPLIT?

The telecoms industry is watching closely how long the initial demand will last. A variable is the iPhone Duo, set to be released next month. As Apple’s first foldable phone, the market is also placing expectations on expanded replacement demand. A retail store official said, “Isn’t the iPhone Duo coming out again in a month?” The official added, “Some customers come to buy the iPhone Duo, which has not been released yet, and then turn back.”

The iPhone Duo will begin pre-orders on the 16th next month and be officially released on the 23rd. If some consumers delay buying the iPhone 18 Pro to wait for the Duo, replacement demand for new iPhone models could be spread between the two products.

The price gap is another variable. The iPhone Duo list price starts at 3.29 million won, 1.3 million won more than the iPhone 18 Pro and 1.1 million won more than the Pro Max. An industry official said, “Because its price range differs from the Pro series, it is hard to guarantee it will clearly be a hit,” but added, “There is likely to be sufficient demand waiting for the Duo, centred on (Apple) loyal customers who are sensitive to features.”

The three carriers are focusing on securing as much demand as possible for the iPhone 18 Pro until the Duo launches. They are putting forward subsidies and used-phone compensation to reduce the burden from higher handset prices. For the iPhone 18 Pro, they set common subsidies of up to 450,000 won and offer benefits such as used-phone compensation, affiliated card discounts and device upgrade programmes. They also run a programme that compensates up to 50 percent of the list price when customers return an existing device in the future.

The carriers are focusing on used-phone compensation and residual value guarantees because handset prices have risen to around 2 million won, increasing consumers’ upfront purchase burden. They can also expect the effect of keeping as their customers those who replace their device with a new iPhone again after a certain period.

The industry views the early sales trend of the iPhone 18 Pro and the Duo’s pre-order results as likely to determine the direction of this year’s premium market. Another industry official said, “There is a strong possibility this year’s iPhone boost will continue through winter,” and added, “After the Duo launches, changes in carrier subsidies will also be a point to watch in the market.”