"Apple Fans Lose Sleep Over Pre-Orders Being Harder Than Course Registration"

iPhone 12 Pre-Orders Sold Out on Coupang in 1 Minute
Community: "Refreshed for Hours to Finally Buy"
Pre-Order Tips Shared Ahead of Two Upcoming Models
iPhone 12 Also Gets Limited Subsidy... Up to 240,000 KRW Offered

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] "It was harder than registering for university courses." "I barely managed to purchase it after endless refreshing."

On the 23rd, when the iPhone 12 pre-orders began, Apple fans eager to get their hands on the phone stayed up all night wide awake. On the 23rd, initial stocks on open markets like Coupang and 11st sold out within a minute. Many users waited over 30 minutes, continuously refreshing until canceled stocks appeared.

In the early morning of that day, the iPhone 12 and the name of the iPhone cafe even appeared in the portal's real-time search rankings. One user said, "I accessed Coupang, and as soon as it hit midnight, the refresh window popped up. I couldn't connect at first, but when I tried again, it was sold out," adding, "I kept refreshing all night, worried that stock might appear while I was asleep, so I ended up staying awake."

SK Telecom’s Unprecedented Compensation, First-Come-First-Served Delivery Sold Out in One Hour

Consumers also flocked to official carrier online malls, which had a relative advantage in securing stock. SK Telecom’s T Direct Shop offered early morning and same-day delivery benefits to the first 3,500 customers, and the offer was sold out in just over an hour. SK Telecom targeted Apple fans with unprecedented compensation benefits. They offer trade-in compensation up to 300,000 KRW for iPhone 8, 480,000 KRW for iPhone X, 550,000 KRW for iPhone XS, and 650,000 KRW for iPhone 11.

On the iPhone cafe, posts sharing pre-order tips appeared ahead of the subsequent releases of the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max. One method involves first selecting the product to purchase on a PC, checking the server time, and simultaneously selecting the desired product on the mobile app to press the purchase button at the same time as a backup. The two iPhone 12 models not released this time are expected to launch domestically in November.

Traditionally, iPhones have lower official subsidies compared to Samsung or LG Electronics smartphones. This year, carriers have been setting stingy subsidies for new smartphones. The official subsidy for the iPhone 12 is up to 240,000 KRW, with KT offering the highest. By carrier, the subsidies are: SK Telecom 53,000 KRW to 138,000 KRW, KT 63,000 KRW to 240,000 KRW, and LG Uplus 84,000 KRW to 229,000 KRW. Based on an 80,000 KRW 5G plan, SK Telecom sets the subsidy at 110,000 KRW, while KT and LG Uplus set it at 150,000 KRW.

Carriers Launch iPhone-Specific Insurance

Considering that iPhone users have a strong demand for insurance products covering damage or loss, carriers have introduced their own insurance products. SK Telecom launched 'New T iPhone Care,' which covers loss and damage. It provides 50GB of iCloud storage for free and expands the number of loss and damage claims to six times over three years. KT, in partnership with Apple, is launching the 'KT Apple Care Pack,' which includes AppleCare services (40,000 KRW deductible for screen damage, 120,000 KRW deductible for other damages) and 50GB of iCloud storage monthly.

As 5G service remains unstable and expensive plans lead consumers to prefer unlocked phones with budget carriers rather than subscribing through carriers, carriers are feeling pressured. The number of users switching to budget carriers has increased for four consecutive months. As of September, the net increase in subscribers moving from the three major carriers to budget carriers was 12,433, the highest this year.

Carriers are preparing offline activation events at flagship stores around the official iPhone 12 launch date on the 30th. LG Uplus will hold an iPhone 12 activation event and special exhibition and experience event at Gangnam’s Ilsangbi Ilsang-ui Teum. KT will host the 'ON Restaurant Bike-Thru' event at Han River Sebitseom from the 30th to November 1, where customers can receive their iPhone 12 by bicycle. SK Telecom will operate showcases where customers can experience the iPhone 12 at 12 locations nationwide, including Lotte World Mall’s 5GX Boost Park.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.