The iPhone 15 has proven hugely popular in Samsung's home market of South Korea, says a new report today.

Market intelligence figures suggest that launch sales of the new iPhone line-up were more than 40% higher than those of last year's iPhone 14 series …

Sales of the latest iPhone lineup — the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max — jumped 41.9 percent in the first month of its official release here on Oct. 13, compared to that of the iPhone 14 series from a year prior, according to market tracker Atlas Research and Consulting.

 

Sales of the smaller and cheaper iPhone 15, in particular, more than doubled during the same period, while the highest-priced iPhone 15 Pro Max saw a 42.3 percent growth in sales.

 

While patriotism is believed to have played a significant role in South Korean consumers favoring Samsung over Apple in the past, the report suggests that this is less of an issue now.

Additionally, one reason locals had to favor Samsung phones in previous years no longer applies. Samsung's phone app has long included a call recorder, which was a very popular feature, while iPhones didn't offer this. However, major carrier SK Telecom last month offered call recording through its own iPhone app, levelling the playing field.

The surge in demand for iPhones has led to some questioning whether Apple will promote the country from tier 3 to tier 2 in launch priority. The iPhone 15 line-up went on sale in the US and over 40 other countries on September 22, with tier 2 countries getting it on September 29. South Korea was in the third release, on October 13.

Japan, however, seemed less impressed by the latest iPhone line-up. Consumers there tend to favor smaller phones, and this year’s launch seemed to drive sales of older mini models.

In Japan where consumers prefer smaller smartphones, sales of iPhone 12 and 13 Minis more than doubled in the first week of the new iPhone 15 launch, according to the Japanese daily Nikkei.

 

As Apple has suspended sales of Mini phones on its official website, the report said, Japanese consumers are turning to secondhand shops online to purchase the phones.

 

Apple removed the iPhone 13 mini from its websites as of the launch of the iPhone 15.

Source: 9to5mac