By Kang Seung-woo
The iPhone X will go on sale Nov. 24 in Korea, Apple said Wednesday.
According to the U.S. tech giant, Korea is one of the 13 countries, where the 10th anniversary iPhone will launch on the day. Other countries include Malaysia, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey.
The announcement came amid expectations that the iPhone X may arrive here in December or even next year due to supply issues.
The iPhone X was released on Nov. 3 in some select countries such as the United States, China and Japan. Instead, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus went on sale in Korea on the same day.
The price could be a sticking point for Apple loyalists as the iPhone X will be the Cupertino-based smartphone maker’s most expensive handset ever.
According to Apple Korea, buying the 64 GB device outright from Apple will cost 1.42 million won ($1,275) and the 256 GB edition without any contracts or ties with a particular carrier will be available for 1.63 million won.
The pricing is much higher here than in the U.S. and Japan.
The 64 GB model costs $999 and the 256 GB handset sells for $1,149 in the U.S. Even considering the 10 percent taxes imposed on the device there, the pricing is still high in Korea. In Japan, the prices for the iPhone X models are 112,800 yen (1.1 million won) and 130,045 yen.
However, the price tags could be lowered when consumers receive a subsidy from wireless providers. The nation’s three telecom companies SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus will fix the end prices soon.
“We have yet to decide the prices,” a telecom firm official said.
The iPhone X is equipped with a 5.8-inch high-end OLED screen, unlike the LCD screens Apple used in earlier iPhones. The device can be unlocked through facial recognition software, and the iPhone’s signature home button has been removed.
It also features a glass back panel.