SKT, KT to sell LTE iPhone 5
By Cho Mu-hyun
Apple is set to unveil its iPhone 5 that features long-term evolution (LTE) network connectivity Wednesday according to industry sources Tuesday. SK Telecom and KT are the two carriers here that will sell the flagship device, probably from October, after the California-based company agreed to provide frequency compatible products the sources said.
KT spokeswoman Kim Yoon-jeong and SK Telecom spokesman Romeo Won declined to confirm whether the phone will feature the 4th generation connection, or when it will be available.
“It would have been nonsensical for Apple not to release an LTE model in Korea as it needs to stay competitive here despite possible pressure from Samsung,” said an industry official. “Most consumers are now leaning towards LTE over 3G, (third-generation) and releasing just a 3G model would lead even the most loyal Apple followers to reconsider purchasing the new device.”
Korea’s has the second highest number of LTE smartphone users in the world, with over 10 million as of last month.
Total users of smartphones topped 30 million last month, according to Korea Communications Commission, the nation’s telecom regulator.
The iPhone 5 will be unveiled in a press conference Wednesday at 10 a.m. (Local Time) at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in downtown San Francisco. Koreans will know the specs of the new phone Thursday morning at 2 a.m.
The component industry here expects the handset to have a 4-inch screen, 1.2 gigahertz application processor and 1 gigabyte of RAM.
The new handset will compete with other high-end products to be released in October including Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note 2 and LG Electronics’ Optimus G, which will both feature LTE.
Some observers note that Samsung may commence a Jelly Bean update, the most recent Android 4.1 operating system, on the same day.
Samsung has vowed to sue Apple alleging the iPhone 5 makes use of its patented LTE technology.
The Suwon-based smartphone maker lost against its rival in a patent dispute at a court in San Jose and was ordered to pay $ 1.05 billion in damages. Meanwhile, a Tokyo court favored the Korean firm over its American counterpart.
Samsung and Apple enjoy a duopoly in the global smartphone market with a 32.6 percent and 16.9 percent share, respectively, according to market research agency International Data Corporation. Samsung recently said it sold its 20 millionth Galaxy S3s 100 days after its launch in May.