SEOUL: Apple Inc said Wednesday it will launch its new smartphone, the iPhone 13, in South Korea next month as the United States tech giant aims to solidify its leadership in the premium segment.
Apple on Tuesday (local time) unveiled four models of the iPhone 13 series — the 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini, the 6.1-inch iPhone 13, the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro and the 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max, Yonhap news agency reported.
Apple said its new iPhone family, featuring an upgraded camera system and enhanced battery life, will go on sale in South Korea on Oct 8, two weeks after the company launches the products in more than 30 select countries, including the US, Britain, Germany, China and Japan.
The prices of iPhone 13 models will be same as their predecessors. The standard iPhone 13 will be sold with a price tag starting at 1.09 million won ($930) here, and the iPhone 13 mini from 950,000 won.
The starting price for the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max has been set at 1.35 million won and 1.49 million won, respectively.
The 5G-supporting iPhone 13 series will have expanded storage capacity with the Pro line-up offering 1TB variant, in addition to 128GB, 256GB and 512GB models. The iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 mini doubled the entry-level storage at 128GB, and come with 256GB and 512GB versions.
The iPhone 13 models are powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic processor built with the 5-nanometre process to deliver better power efficiency and improved performance.
In South Korea, Apple hopes the new iPhone 13 series can attract more users against homegrown giant Samsung Electronics Co, which is promoting foldables for the premium market.
Samsung had a dominant share of 73 percent in the South Korean smartphone market in the second quarter, while Apple was the runner-up with a 16 percent share, according to market researcher Counterpoint Research.
Globally, Apple will try to solidify its leadership in the 5G smartphone market. With the iPhone 13 series, Counterpoint Research expected Apple to represent 33 per cent of the worldwide 5G handset shipments this year, up from 24 per cent a year ago. The global 5G smartphone shipment in 2021 was tipped to reach 605 million units this year. – Bernama
