The price of the iPhone, the 10th anniversary of the Apple iPhone, is the highest ever, and the factory price and timing are likely to dominate the premium smartphone market in the second half. Samsung Electronics has already revealed a premium smartphone Galaxy Note 8, which is inevitably a clash between the two products.

Apple will launch iPhone X in Apple`s new office in Cupertino, Calif. And Samsung Electronics` Galaxy Note 8, and competition in the global market for premium phones will begin in earnest on September 12 (local time). Samsung held a media day commemorating the launch of Galaxy Note 8 in Korea and China on the day before and after the launch of iPhone X.

Both companies have set their sights on new products, Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone X, and set out to market in the premium market. The newly released iPhone X comes in 64GB and 256GB capacities, and the 64GB price is USD 999. This is actually more than USD 1,000, as extra tax is imposed.

Besides, Apple, which has not operated a mid to low-end line in the meantime, is also taking a line of low-end products compared to premiums. The iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus, which were unveiled on the same day, are also priced at 64GB and 256GB, respectively, and priced at USD 699 (about KRW 790,000) and USD 799 (about KRW 900,000), respectively.

In Korea, the price of the iPhone 64 is higher than that of the US dollar. Therefore, the price of the 64GB iPhone X will be set at KRW 1.2 million, which is higher than Samsung`s Galaxy Note 8 of KRW 1,090,000. However, in the case of the domestic market, the selection discount rate can be a variable. In Korea, as the discount rate is raised to 25% from the 15th of this month, Apple will be able to supplement handset prices by discounting telecom rates without subsidized subsidies in Korea.

The Galaxy Note 8 is the best-selling book in the series of notebooks in advance, even at a high price of over one million won. Galaxy Note 8 recorded pre-booked sales of 650,000 units for 5 days from September 8. Earlier, Galaxy Note 7 has been sold more than 400,000 pre-sales records. LG Electronics V30 and iPhone X have a bigger price difference. LG Electronics has set the V30`s 64GB model at KRW 943,300. Compared to the competition, performance is not lagging behind, but it is said to be relatively competitive price.

The delay in the release of the iPhone X is also a variable. Galaxy Note 8 will be launched on the September 15 from pre-order sales and will be available in the world market. The pre-order for the iPhone Ⅹ is October 27 and the delivery is November 3. After the release, it was delayed much later than expected market expectation to receive pre-order from next week. South Korea, which is not included in the primary launching country, is expected to be available only in December after passing November. For Samsung, the iPhone X will be able to take over the market for more than a month by the end of October when it starts pre-order. In this period, it is necessary to attract consumers intensively. On the other hand, it is noteworthy whether the iPhone X will act as a variable for the initial demand, as there are concerns that the supply and demand will not be smoothly achieved through foreign sources.

Meanwhile, differences in emphasis are different in function. Galaxy Note 8 emphasized the upgraded S pen function, and the iPhone Ⅹ emphasized the 3D face recognition face ID. The iPhone X is equipped with a next-generation mobile AP (application processor) A11 Bionic, a rear 1200-megapixel wide-angle telephoto dual camera, a face ID and wireless charging.

The Galaxy Note 8 is equipped with an S pen with live messaging, an infinite display with multitasking capability, and a 1200-megapixel camera. It also inherited the performance of the Galaxy smartphone including Bixby, iris recognition, and Samsung Dex. Besides, optical image stabilization (OIS) was applied to all dual cameras. The V30 is LG`s first OLED display with a large bezel design and high-performance camera and audio.

Galaxy Note 8 is available in midnight black, orchid gray, deep blue, and maple gold.

There are two versions of iPhone X, Silver and Space Gray. Apple plans to release the iPhone 8, an upgraded version of its existing model, ahead of the release of the iPhone.

By Kim Ji Yeong kjy@


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