In South Korea’s smartphone market, Samsung has a share of 75% and Apple has a share of 24%. The former fully dominating phone sales there isn’t surprising as it is the brand’s home country. However, a move that Apple is planning to make could tip the scale against Samsung.

When Apple launches a new iPhone model, there’s a lot of excitement among people about it. That fetches the brand a lot of pre-orders and initial sales. In South Korea, however, the Cupertino-based tech giant launches a new iPhone model a few months after debuting it or launching it globally.

By the time the company brings it to the country, the excitement people in the region had about it drops significantly. That leads to a lower number of sales than the brand could have achieved if it launched the phone earlier. That also helps Samsung sell a higher number of phones. Well, that’s not going to be the case with iPhone 16.

Apple could launch iPhone 16 in South Korea earlier than usual

According to Korea Times, Apple is planning to launch the iPhone 16 series smartphones in South Korea around the same time it makes the phone available to purchase in other regions. With that, the Cupertino-based tech giant will be able to tap into the initial excitement people there will have about it, which could fetch the brand more sales. As a result, the sales of Samsung’s phones could drop considerably.

The story continues after the video…

Reportedly, Apple is planning to make the iPhone 16 series available in South Korea earlier than usual to make up for the fall in the demand for its phones in China. Unfortunately, Samsung will indirectly bear the brunt of it. That being said, Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S25 series is expected to bring some massive improvements. That should help the brand retain its share in South Korea’s smartphone market.