Korean Job Discussion Forums

matthews_world · Joined: 15 Feb 2003

I was told that the Korean IPhones and Galaxy models can't be used outside of Korea?

I got an Taiwan made HTC which can be used internationally. Any other HTC owners? My salesguy said that they are #2 in the world behind the Iphone.

I'm new to smart phones and basically got one due to the current market trend. I'm going to get smart banking set up and then see how it goes.

Chimie · Joined: 05 Oct 2011

iPhones are pretty much universally region coded (locked) for the country they are in. They can be unlocked, but most carriers don't like giving out sim cards to illegally unlocked iphones.

HK and Taiwan however, I believe don't lock their phones meaning they're usable all over the world legally.

Yaya · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Location: Seoul

Though iPhone 4S is due for a December release in Korea, don't forget that there'll be a waiting list so...

jamesy · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Location: incheon, korea

I recently bought a Galaxy S2. The phone is great, but the battery life is woeful. If you choose to go with an S2, try to get get a good app killing program, and use battery saving mode as often as you can. If you listen to radio, use the internet a lot, or makes lots of calls, be prepared to charge a couple of times a day. One upside is you get a spare battery, so you can keep one on charge, and swap them when needed.

wishfullthinkng · Joined: 05 Mar 2010

jamesy · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Location: incheon, korea

Screen brightness was 30%, but I have reduced this to 10. I use mine on power saving saving mode at 50% or lower. It has made a bit of difference, but still not great. The galaxy S2 is still fairly new to me, so I'm sure I'll find other ways to conserve my battery life as I go. I recently got a 2G-3G app, which allows me to switch 3G off. This had made a noticeable difference.

I used to have an LG Optimus, and the battery life was far superior without making any major alterations, which I suppose is the tough thing for me to get used to.

jamesy · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Location: incheon, korea

BTW I never have anything running that I'm not using. I only turn GPS or bluetooth on when I need to. I'm going to try the phone's app killer rather than the external one I am currently using.

jamesy · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Location: incheon, korea

[quote="wishfullthinkng"]

wishfullthinkng · Joined: 05 Mar 2010

jamesy,

the app killing widget is called program monitor, or at least it is on the kt version. press your options button on the bottom left of your handset then go to add > widgets > then scroll right until you see it.

it sounds like you are careful about your battery life. i have no idea why you are getting so little out of it. the only other usual suspect is maybe you are in an area that has poor cellular signals which forces the handset to boost the db of the antennae which in turn sucks significantly more juice. however, this is korea and you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere with poor cell coverage unless you're out in the country. when i visit my parents farm here my battery goes to nothing pretty quick because of this issue.

edit: also, if you want to really be a hypermiler, you can set your background and lock screen as just black. amoled panels only use energy to create colors and white, and use none when displaying pure black.

jamesy · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Location: incheon, korea

Thanks wishful. Now you come to mention it, my apartment struggles for signal in certain places, so there's times I have to move around to find a stronger one. I think I'll start leaving my phone in an that area I know is guaranteed a good signal, and see if it makes a difference. I'll also have a look for the app you mentioned.

Thanks again, and I'm sure it's just a bedding in period. Once I get to know the phone a bit better, I'm sure the battery life will improve.

CaliUSA · Joined: 30 Jan 2011

wishfullthinkng · Joined: 05 Mar 2010

CaliUSA · Joined: 30 Jan 2011

DeLaRed · Joined: 16 Oct 2008

any opinions on HTC phones?

I was reading a few articles recently and found that HTC is number 1 seller in the UK....iphone lagged behind blackberry and Samsung.

(HTC was number 1 in the U.S until late 2010)....

I know next to nothing about HTC having been living in Korea the last few years (as most use iphone's or Galaxy)

My co teacher told me you can get the relatively HTC phone's for free here...I assume not the latest ones Wink

(I guess since people jump on the iphone/galaxy bandwagon which is why they're cheaper....and prices seem to be fixed with iphones even if it's an older version) Might be interested in getting an HTC if they're a good buy.

wishfullthinkng · Joined: 05 Mar 2010

htc is making inroads in south korea but i personally find most of their hardware to look like it was designed by a caffeinated grade schooler with a crayon. while they have their own design style they are not known for making sexy and slim hardware, but they are known for making solid phones built to last. while they stay cutting edge they are not pioneers in the industry simply because they do not make a lot of proprietary components for their own handsets such as soc's or gpu's like apple and samsung do. so if you are looking for the latest and greatest then htc will never be in the running.

they did have the first lte handset here in korea but now there are handfuls of others from all the big players so they can't really boast that anymore.

for support and ease of finding things like cases, accessories, etc., i'd stick with a korean company or an iphone if you are looking for a new smartphone.

i actually stopped at an official htc pop-up store they have in gangnam station last nite and checked out their latest wares. not bad at all, but i'd still not trade from a galaxy even if i was given extra money.