'Just a New Smartphone'

 

It has been found that South Korean consumers are not that enthusiastic about the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus.

“It seems many consumers are thinking that the latest models are not that different from the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy A8, which were released a year ago and in January this year, respectively,” a retailer explained on March 17, the first weekend since the release of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus.

“Our recent best seller is the Galaxy A8, which is inexpensive yet as high-performance as Galaxy S phones,” another retailer said, adding, “The Galaxy A8, which comes with dual front cameras, is very popular with teenagers and those in their 20s taking a lot of selfies.” He went on to say, “An increasing number of consumers are opting for inexpensive older phones these days amid the lack of significant performance improvement.”

There is another factor which affects the sale of the products. Earlier this year, the South Korean government imposed a penalty of 50.6 billion won (US$45.5 million) on SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ for their illegal subsidies. Since then, the mobile carriers have reduced their subsidies and this is affecting the sale of the products as well. At present, a consumer switching to another mobile carrier and using a certain credit card can get the Galaxy S9 at 460,000 won (US$4,140) or so, about half of its factory price. Last year, the Galaxy S8 was available at less than 200,000 won (US$1,800) immediately after launching.

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