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red_devil
Joined: 30 Jun 2008
Location: Korea
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 Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:30 am Post subject: |
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I dished out for the Haptic 2 when it came out...something like 900K. Thinking that having left my iPhone back in the states...being in Korea this should be better. Boy was i wrong. Dished out all that cash just make calls, SMS, and have a touchscreen where i still need to tap 1-3 times to get a letter. WOW. Worth it...NOT.
Just hope the iPhone comes soon, sick of this BS. I contemplated getting a BB for about 2 min, but the little nipple thing turns me off. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:45 am Post subject: |
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| swigs wrote: |
Yeah, I still beg to differ with you on this. Almost any Korean that can afford an iPhone is an well educated Korean with probably pretty good English skills. I don't know what your talking about.
If you want to see productivity apps, just click on the productivity app button. You will see quite a bunch that are useful.
You sound like a Korean Telecom company telling the consumers what they 'really want' by not giving them a choice. Plus the iPhone is like a (nintentdo DS, GPS Device, TV, PMP, Compas, netbook, and more, etc) all in one. I think that is one of the reasons why they are keeping the iPhone out. Not because of any of the reasons you mentioned though. |
The iPhone has about a 6% penetration in the US market, out of all the owners that own a cell phone.
All I am doing is to dispel the misconception that the iPhone is going to owned by everyone in Korea. That every Korean will want to own one, and the AppStore will be as popular in Korea as it is in the US. If the iPhone the greatest thing since sliced bread, then how come only 6% of Americans who own cell phones have it?
Will the iPhone be successful here in Korea, sure why not. I predict they would get about 4-5% of the market of all handsets in Korea. That is pretty good. The way people hype up the iPhone, they make it sound like every single person in Korea NEEDS an iPhone, and they are idiots for not owning one. |
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steveohan
Joined: 24 Apr 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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| red_devil wrote: |
| I contemplated getting a BB for about 2 min, but the little nipple thing turns me off. |
i picked up a BB last week. so far its incredible! the web browsing is not nearly as nice as it is on the iphone, but everything else on it is still great. 'the little nipple thing' actually works better than a touchscreen. |
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Savant
Joined: 25 May 2007
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 2:35 pm Post subject: |
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For the iPhone to work in Korea it needs to:
- Redeem a lot of its features that are available in other countries. eg. The wi-fi function in particular. I love the wi-fi on the iTouch
- Be comparitively priced in line with the latest Korean smartphones [which are domestically overpriced].
Koreans loved the iTouch. I fail to see why they can't love the iPhone too. |
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swigs
Joined: 20 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 3:18 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
| swigs wrote: |
Yeah, I still beg to differ with you on this. Almost any Korean that can afford an iPhone is an well educated Korean with probably pretty good English skills. I don't know what your talking about.
If you want to see productivity apps, just click on the productivity app button. You will see quite a bunch that are useful.
You sound like a Korean Telecom company telling the consumers what they 'really want' by not giving them a choice. Plus the iPhone is like a (nintentdo DS, GPS Device, TV, PMP, Compas, netbook, and more, etc) all in one. I think that is one of the reasons why they are keeping the iPhone out. Not because of any of the reasons you mentioned though. |
The iPhone has about a 6% penetration in the US market, out of all the owners that own a cell phone.
All I am doing is to dispel the misconception that the iPhone is going to owned by everyone in Korea. That every Korean will want to own one, and the AppStore will be as popular in Korea as it is in the US. If the iPhone the greatest thing since sliced bread, then how come only 6% of Americans who own cell phones have it?
Will the iPhone be successful here in Korea, sure why not. I predict they would get about 4-5% of the market of all handsets in Korea. That is pretty good. The way people hype up the iPhone, they make it sound like every single person in Korea NEEDS an iPhone, and they are idiots for not owning one. |
A regular/dumb phone and a smart phone are two different markets. So the 6% is somewhat misleading.
The people on these forums don't think every Korean will own the phone. Like I said, it will be mostly the higher educated Koreans whom would appreciate what the iPhone has to offer. And it's not the people whom are 'idiots', it's the telecom companies for being ultra lame. |
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Demophobe
Joined: 17 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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| swigs wrote: |
A regular/dumb phone and a smart phone are two different markets. So the 6% is somewhat misleading.
The people on these forums don't think every Korean will own the phone. Like I said, it will be mostly the higher educated Koreans whom would appreciate what the iPhone has to offer. And it's not the people whom are 'idiots', it's the telecom companies for being ultra lame. |
So now only smart people own iPhones?
I could call you an idiot for the same reason. (and for the fact that you believe education has anything to do with appreciating a gadget.) I don't see much intellect in playing tilt maze games or babyshake. Typical elitist Machead spew.
Besides, while it may be a slippery slope to equate income with education...
Don't you think that a company that wants to sell an extremely limited number of products to all people under the motto "Think different" has some explaining to do? Not to say anything about the people who actually buy into the ridiculous irony...
Koreans will see the iPhone for what it is: a neat looking but superfluous device.
Too many swigs of the kool-aid... |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Too many swigs of the kool-aid... |
Zinger! 
My prediction for the iphone in Korea? It will do well with a few trendy Apgujung types and also with the tech-geeks. Especially if it's allowed to do all it can do by KTF, SK et al.......it is a very neat device. If it didn't need to use proprietary software to watch or listen to anything it would be awesome, instead of just neat.
........but the Korean masses have drunk their own flavor of kool-aid. One that makes them believe that Samsung and LG make the best cellphones in the world. And that they are 'safe' buys.
The best thing possible about the iphone in Korea is that LG and Samsung will be forced to bring out their own "iphone-killers". Phones with full PMP functions, GPS, and, best of all, plug 'n' play with Windows PC's....
.....the ultimate convergence gadget is not too far off I'd say. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not Anti-iPhone. I have an iPod Touch and I really like it. I like the Apps and the functionality.
I've been in Korea, and been amongst the population long enough to have a good idea what Koreans want and don't want.
The iPhone is a novelty here. That's it. You put the ability to watch DMB, take self pictures (because Koreans are ALWAYS taking pictures of themselves), and the ability to use the iPhone to pay for bus/subway fares. You do all that and the iPhone is a definitely must have in Korea.
It doesn't do any of that, so why would the Koreans buy the iPhone? To use Safari that isn't compatible to 95% of Korean websites? To use the email app that doesn't work with Korean mail sites? To track US Stock Quotes?
To use the subway maps? Most of Koreans I know don't need to check the subway maps because they already know most of the routes.
What purpose does the Daum Maps do that isn't done better with GPS "Navi" that Koreans already have in their car?
Outside of the games, what Apps are there that make the iPhone a "must-have" for Koreans?
I can see why I, and other foreigners would by the iPhone. I just don't see the "big draw" for the Koreans to buy the iPhone. Maybe a killer App will come out within a year that changed all that. |
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Rusty Shackleford
Joined: 08 May 2008
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| eamo wrote: |
The best thing possible about the iphone in Korea is that LG and Samsung will be forced to bring out their own "iphone-killers". Phones with full PMP functions, GPS, and, best of all, plug 'n' play with Windows PC's....
.....the ultimate convergence gadget is not too far off I'd say. |
The iPhone is close to being a perfect device. If you could output it to a larger screen with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, it would be a replacement for your home computer. That is if you don't play crysis and render video, which 90% of us don't. |
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Demophobe
Joined: 17 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Rusty Shackleford wrote: |
The iPhone is close to being a perfect device. If you could output it to a larger screen with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, it would be a replacement for your home computer. That is if you don't play crysis and render video, which 90% of us don't. |
iPhone as a desktop replacement? Seriously...do Apple pay you enough to say such ridiculous things?
Who are "us" anyhow? Clearly Mac users, 'cause you can't game...
Did you get flash working yet? I hope the cheque Steve writes Bill gets scanned and posted somewhere. |
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SeoulnPepe
Joined: 13 Sep 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:57 pm Post subject: |
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Macs have their place, and PCs have their place. If you don't like either you can always revert back to a typewriter and snailmail...
I think a good Moleskine still runs about 20,000W ; ) |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 11:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Rusty Shackleford wrote: |
| eamo wrote: |
The best thing possible about the iphone in Korea is that LG and Samsung will be forced to bring out their own "iphone-killers". Phones with full PMP functions, GPS, and, best of all, plug 'n' play with Windows PC's....
.....the ultimate convergence gadget is not too far off I'd say. |
The iPhone is close to being a perfect device. If you could output it to a larger screen with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, it would be a replacement for your home computer. That is if you don't play crysis and render video, which 90% of us don't. |
It doesn't multitask. End of story. |
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oskinny1
Joined: 10 Nov 2006
Location: Right behind you!
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| Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 1:28 am Post subject: |
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| Demophobe wrote: |
So now only smart people own iPhones?
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Yep!
| Quote: |
| A new study from Forrester has found that iPhone users who are employed (presumably the study excluded students who are living off of parents' money) are far heavier users of text messaging and mobile web than are users of other smartphones like the T-Mobile G1 or BlackBerry phones. It also found that they were more likely to have graduated from college or have household incomes higher than $70,000 per year. |
http://www.obsessable.com/news/2009/06/12/study-compares-iphone-demographics-to-those-of-other-smartphones/
As for thinking different, it was to have all the windows users see that there is a different product out there. When 98% of the people are using the same product without questioning why, "think different" is a nice little slogan.
Why would they want to sell an extremely limited number? Where have they ever said that?
Every Korean I have talked to about the iPhone wants it, but none of them think it will ever make it here. |
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swigs
Joined: 20 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:56 am Post subject: |
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| Demophobe wrote: |
| swigs wrote: |
A regular/dumb phone and a smart phone are two different markets. So the 6% is somewhat misleading.
The people on these forums don't think every Korean will own the phone. Like I said, it will be mostly the higher educated Koreans whom would appreciate what the iPhone has to offer. And it's not the people whom are 'idiots', it's the telecom companies for being ultra lame. |
So now only smart people own iPhones?
I could call you an idiot for the same reason. (and for the fact that you believe education has anything to do with appreciating a gadget.) I don't see much intellect in playing tilt maze games or babyshake. Typical elitist Machead spew.
Besides, while it may be a slippery slope to equate income with education...
Don't you think that a company that wants to sell an extremely limited number of products to all people under the motto "Think different" has some explaining to do? Not to say anything about the people who actually buy into the ridiculous irony...
Koreans will see the iPhone for what it is: a neat looking but superfluous device.
Too many swigs of the kool-aid... |
Lol, nice spin! I say 'most', and you turn it into an absolute of 'only'.
The post above proves my point in America, but it will also be true in Korea. |
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Savant
Joined: 25 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:59 am Post subject: |
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Is the DMB function of Korean phones widely used?
From my experience of taking express buses to Seoul for a year, I would say No.
I saw that it was mostly Korean salarymen who used the DMB function in their phones.
The younger generation mostly used some sort of PMP/MP3 device.
I would say on the subway it is evenly split betwen Phone DMB, PMP and PSP/DS usage.
My girlfriend has a Haptic phone which has DMB and also an Ipod Touch. Can you guess which one she always uses when she takes the bus?
For Koreans, it's always about image and status. Sadly, for Samsung and LG; the iPhone has it in buckets. |
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