Tech: Apple's iPhone 7 Causes Frenzy In South Korea -- Is Samsung's Hold Over Its Home Turf In Jeopardy?
Telecom stores and boutique electronics retailers across South Korea flooded with Apple fanatics all day Friday in hot pursuit of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, with lines of 200 at some of the biggest stores before opening hours. At a telecom megastore in Seoul’s downtown Gwanghwamun, 25-year-old Yoo Byung-moon camped out for four days to be the first in the country to collect the most popular Apple phone in Korea yet, priced between 869,000 won and 1.28 million won (about $764-$1,125). Some reports estimated total sales at 300,000 units on opening day, whereas 10,000 units is considered a success in Korea. Other loyal fans who were quick enough to preorder early picked up their phones in a calm, orderly manner. James Oh, who has a Galaxy S series for work and iPhone for personal use, was one of the thousands to book an iPhone when preorders opened last Friday. The three major telecoms reported record preorders, double the demand for the iPhone 6 and selling out a