On November 22nd, according to the latest report, the iPhone 15 is very popular in Samsung's local market in South Korea.

According to market tracking firm Atlas Research and Consulting, the sales of the latest iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max in the first month since their official release in South Korea on October 13 increased by 41.9% compared to the same period last year for the iPhone 14 series.

Among them, the sales of the smaller and cheaper iPhone 15 have more than doubled, while the sales of the highest priced iPhone 15 Pro Max have also increased by 42.3%.

In the past, patriotism was considered an important factor for Korean consumers to choose Samsung over Apple, but the report points out that this factor is now less prominent.

One factor contributing to the increase in iPhone sales in South Korea this year is believed to be that operators have offered more discounts, making expensive devices more affordable. Apple Pay is also seen as a driving factor in sales.

In addition, one reason why Korean locals used to choose Samsung phones is no longer applicable. Samsung's mobile applications have always included a call recording function, which is a very popular feature, while the iPhone does not provide this feature. However, SK Telecom, the country's operator, provided call recording functionality through its own iPhone application last month.

The surge in demand for iPhones has also sparked some curiosity about whether Apple will prioritize the release of South Korea from the third tier to the second tier. The iPhone 15 series was released on September 22 in the United States and over 40 other countries, with second tier countries on September 29 and South Korea on October 13, belonging to third tier countries.

However, IT Home noticed that Japan seems less interested in the latest iPhone series. Japanese consumers tend to choose smaller phones, and this year's new phones seem to be driving sales of older mini models.

The Nikkei News reported that in the first week of the release of the new iPhone 15, sales of the Japanese iPhone 12 and 13 Mini more than doubled. Due to Apple's discontinuation of Mini models on its official website, the report states that Japanese consumers are turning to online second-hand stores to purchase these phones.

At the same time as the release of iPhone 15, Apple removed the iPhone 13 mini from its official website.