The WSJ is reporting that Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus went on preorder in South Korea on Friday, following their official launch this Friday, October 31st, as part of the next wave of iPhone rollouts. Analyst estimates show that presales for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus topped 100,000 units. By comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 recorded a third of that number (around 30,000) in preorders in a similar timeframe when it launched in September.
The iPhone appears to be off to a great start on Samsung’s home turf, mirroring its success around the world. However, some qualifications to the preorders comparison should be noted. Primarily, the 100,000 number is essentially combining sales of two devices (one of which is a phablet) versus sales of just one Samsung Galaxy Note device. If you cut the numbers in half, Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus is still outperforming its domestic rival but by nowhere near the same margin.
In addition, Samsung launches many varieties of its phablets across the year, practically on a monthly basis. This means that Galaxy phone launches are not as ‘landmark’ as the once-a-year iPhone schedule. Although there is little doubt that the iPhone will do well in South Korea, we will have to wait for more concrete sales numbers to fall out before making any firm judgements on customer preferences.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus go on sale in the region this Friday.
