KT raised the subsidy for the iPhone 5S to KRW814,000 …SKT is mulling it over.
Following the Galaxy Note 3, the subsidy competition among mobile carriers is about to be ignited over the iPhone 5S, which was released more than 15 months ago.
On January 28, KT increased the official subsidy for the iPhone 5S to KRW814,000 (for the Completely Unlimited 77 plan). The iPhone 5S 16GB, whose factory price was KRW814,000, became a free phone, and the installment principals for the 32GB (KRW946,000) and 64GB (KRW1,078,000) model were lowered to KRW132,000 and KRW264,000 respectively. The prediction that, as there are constant demands for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the increase of subsidies will be postponed a little is wrong.
A KT insider said, “As there are constant demands for the iPhone 5S because of its excellent performance and design, we increased the subsidy to match the factory price just in time for the exclusion of the subsidy ceiling regulation.”
As SK Telecom is also considering raising the subsidy for the iPhone 5S, the subsidy competition over the Galaxy Note 3 seems likely to be rekindled. As there is little stock of the iPhone 5S, however, the industry believes that it will be difficult to meet consumer needs.