The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Garbage collector mistakes sex doll for corpse

  • 3

    Major webtoon platforms' fight against piracy

  • 5

    Korea seeks measures to better protect foreign workers

  • 7

    Retailers return to Myeong-dong as more foreign tourists visit

  • 9

    Is non-consensual sex not rape?

  • 11

    Japanese comic series 'Slam Dunk' enjoys resurgence on back of animated film

  • 13

    President pledges support for Korean chipmakers to overcome crisis

  • 15

    Income gap widening among workers

  • 17

    Korea's presidential couple celebrates recovery of Cambodian boy who received heart surgery

  • 19

    Police to introduce new measures to better handle intoxicated people

  • 2

    Free subway rides for elderly emerge as headache for Seoul mayor

  • 4

    Seoul city council under fire for sexual conduct guidelines for teachers

  • 6

    Samsung unveils new Galaxy S23 smartphone

  • 8

    ENHYPEN-inspired webtoon 'Dark Moon: The Blood Altar' surpasses 100 million views

  • 10

    4 South Korean activists arrested for executing orders from Pyongyang

  • 12

    INTERVIEWA touch of authenticity in Korea's Mexican cuisine scene

  • 14

    $120,000 banana, praying Hitler: Infamous art world prankster Maurizio Cattelan's first Seoul outing

  • 16

    Pyongyang threatens eye-for-eye response as US B-1B bombers join drills in South Korea

  • 18

    China imposes mandatory virus tests for arrivals from Korea only in latest protest over curbs

  • 20

    Retired actress Shim Eun-ha denies rumor of return

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Fri, February 3, 2023 | 16:22
Tech
SKT to Challenge Apple With Android Phone
Posted : 2010-01-14 19:10
Updated : 2010-01-14 19:10
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
SK Telecom plans to tackle over Apple's iPhone in the domestic market by heavily betting on handsets that run on open-based Google's Android operating system, a company executive said.

Ha Sung-min, president of
SK Telecom’s mobile network unit
By Kim Yoo-chul
Staff Reporter

SK Telecom plans to tackle over Apple's iPhone in the domestic market by heavily betting on handsets that run on open-based Google's Android operating system, a company executive said.

The nation's top mobile carrier, which has been suffering from a falling local market share due to an impressive iPhone sales since late last year, said it will launch 15 new smartphones this year with as many as 13 models running on the Google-powered gadgets.

"SK Telecom will sell over 2 million smartphones in the local market by the end of this year by focusing on models based on Google's Android operating system," Ha Sung-min, president of SK Telecom's mobile network operator unit, said in a press conference held in Seoul, Thursday.

"We will have 25 smartphone line-ups in 2013, or 40 percent of our total handset offerings, mostly equipped with the Google OS," the executive said, adding Android phones have strong competitive edges on Internet-related interfaces than devices with other operating system(s) including iPhones.

"It's clear that SK Telecom will drive Android phones as consumers have greater preferences for phones providing a high accessibility toward Web-surfing and other multimedia contents. In that perception, Google's mobile services are qualified," he said.

The remarks seem to be a major blow to SK Telecom's local rival KT, analysts say.

KT, which is an exclusive partner to sell Apple's iPhones, has been in deep talks with the U.S. company to introduce 4G iPhones to South Korea as early as in April, officials say.

Although KT plans to extend it uptrend momentum in the nation's smartphone segment by launching Apple's new models, major handset producers including Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics as well as SK Telecom have been shifting their strategies to Android phones attracted by skyrocketing consumer demand.

KT has been selling over 240,000 iPhones since its debut in the domestic market on Nov. 28.

In the past, SK Telecom had a 50.5 percent share of the local mobile market compared with KT's 31 percent.

"We hope our App Store to grow further as more Android phones mean more contents. Meanwhile, SK Telecom sees a decline of smartphone prices as handset producers are ramping up the production of such pricey gadgets," the executive said.

Wi-Fi Network

To revitalize the local wireless Internet market, SK Telecom also plans to construct its own wireless-fidelity network called Wi-Fi in major cities.

Under the strategy, the carrier will begin the works capitalizing on public spaces and its "T-Membership" stores.

SK Telecom has also been set to drive open access point (AP) policy, making it possible to access wireless Internet via its Wi-Fi networks.

This is the first time for SK Telecom to independently build its own Wi-Fi networks. Ha said detailed investment plans will be announced sometime in February.

"SK Telecom has been in difficulties to expand smartphone-related businesses and other telecom services due to the vacancy of our own independent Wi-Fi networks. Now, that's past story," the executive said.

Its local rival KT has its own wireless service known as Nespot with 13,000 numbers across the country, while LG Telecom has currently secured some 2 million AP for Internet phones.

For WiBro-related businesses, SK Telecom will expand the coverage of such services by launching both WCDMA- and WiBro-enabled mobile phones, he said.

"SK Telecom has so far been invested over 800 billion won for WiBro services. We won't give up the business. Rather, we plan to expand WiBro coverage outside metropolitan areas."

KT has already released "Show Omnia"-branded smartphone, which is featured with WCDMA and WiBro functions.

Analysts say competitions are getting fiercer for more stakes in the local WiBro segment after SK Telecom's "WiBro+WCDMA" phone was released.

yckim@koreatimes.co.kr
 
Top 10 Stories
1Seoul city council under fire for sexual conduct guidelines for teachers Seoul city council under fire for sexual conduct guidelines for teachers
2Samsung unveils new Galaxy S23 smartphone Samsung unveils new Galaxy S23 smartphone
3[INTERVIEW] A touch of authenticity in Korea's Mexican cuisine scene INTERVIEWA touch of authenticity in Korea's Mexican cuisine scene
4Pyongyang threatens eye-for-eye response as US B-1B bombers join drills in South Korea Pyongyang threatens eye-for-eye response as US B-1B bombers join drills in South Korea
5Police to introduce new measures to better handle intoxicated people Police to introduce new measures to better handle intoxicated people
6Gov't announces measures to cope with shortage of surgeons Gov't announces measures to cope with shortage of surgeons
7[INTERVIEW] 'Extended deterrence is best option to ensure peace on Korean Peninsula' INTERVIEW'Extended deterrence is best option to ensure peace on Korean Peninsula'
8[INTERVIEW] US-NK summit is unlikely in 2023: Korea Society INTERVIEWUS-NK summit is unlikely in 2023: Korea Society
9[INTERVIEW] IMF expects no recession for Korean economy INTERVIEWIMF expects no recession for Korean economy
10Taxi passengers in Seoul taken aback by fare increase Taxi passengers in Seoul taken aback by fare increase
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Major webtoon platforms' fight against piracy Major webtoon platforms' fight against piracy
2ENHYPEN-inspired webtoon 'Dark Moon: The Blood Altar' surpasses 100 million views ENHYPEN-inspired webtoon 'Dark Moon: The Blood Altar' surpasses 100 million views
3$120,000 banana, praying Hitler: Infamous art world prankster Maurizio Cattelan's first Seoul outing $120,000 banana, praying Hitler: Infamous art world prankster Maurizio Cattelan's first Seoul outing
4PULL UP: VIVIZ returns with new song about gossipers PULL UP: VIVIZ returns with new song about gossipers
5Park Hyung-sik to play crown prince in tvN series 'Our Blooming Youth' Park Hyung-sik to play crown prince in tvN series 'Our Blooming Youth'
DARKROOM
  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group