Apple's first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, went on sale in South Korea on the 23rd, drawing strong interest from the outset as portions of the presale allotment at some carriers' online stores sold out within a minute. SK Telecom (017670), KT and LG Uplus began activating devices for presale customers and started general sales the same day.
The first round of presales at SK Telecom's official online store, T Direct Shop, which guaranteed delivery on launch day, closed one minute after opening, according to the telecommunications industry on the 23rd. At KT Direct Shop, the first- and second-round allotments of the 256GB and 512GB models also sold out within a minute, and KT's entire presale inventory across all storage capacities for both rounds was gone in 40 minutes.
Demand in the three carriers' presales concentrated on the Star White color and the 256GB and 512GB models. At KT, seven out of 10 preorder customers chose Star White. At LG Uplus's official online store, Star White accounted for 69.4% of preorders, far ahead of Night Sky at 30.6%. Star White was also the more popular choice at SK Telecom.
By storage capacity, the 256GB model drew the most interest. At SK Telecom, the 256GB and 512GB models together made up 60% of all preorders. At LG Uplus, the 256GB model led with 51.8%, followed by the 512GB at 40.7%, the 1TB at 6.3% and the 2TB at 1.2%. Models with 512GB or more accounted for 48.2% of preorders.
Buyers were concentrated among those in their 30s and 40s. Among SK Telecom's presale customers, those in their 30s made up the largest share at 36%, followed by those in their 40s at 35%. The two age groups together accounted for 71%. Customers in their 20s made up 13.9%.
Reflecting the high price of foldable smartphones, the three carriers highlighted differentiated benefits such as damage insurance and device trade-in compensation.
SK Telecom launched T iPhone Care, an Apple-only insurance plan costing 17,000 won a month. Designed with foldable devices in mind, it provides separate compensation for damage to the cover layer and supports battery replacement and extended warranty coverage. SK Telecom subscribers also receive 50GB of iCloud storage free of charge. All customers who activate a device receive two months of Google AI Plus and six months of Tving's ad-supported standard tier free. KT introduced its own insurance plan, Phone Care_iDuo, and a device trade-in program, Phone Change_iDuo. Phone Care covers loss, theft and damage, and subscribers on plans of 100,000 won or more a month can use it for 10,500 won a month with a membership discount. Phone Change, priced at 6,500 won a month, compensates customers up to 50% of the original retail price if they return the device after two years.
LG Uplus put its device trade-in compensation program front and center. The 70% Compensation Pass, priced at 18,000 won a month, compensates customers up to 70% of the retail price, depending on conditions, if they return the device after six months of activation and switch to a new iPhone. The carrier also offers a product priced at 5,000 won a month that compensates up to 50% after 24 months of use. Customers who activate a device by switching carriers through the 30th of next month will receive the 24-month compensation pass with no monthly fee.