Apple is taking hard action against games slipping into the Korean App Store, reports the Korea Herald. The Korean version of the storefront is affected by local censorship laws, which make it illegal for games to be sold without having first been vetted by the Game Rating Board. As a shortcut to meeting government requirements, Apple completely removed the Games category from the Korean App Store.
The launch of the iPhone in South Korea has so far proven a success, reports say. The number of pre-orders at carrier KT is believed to have to risen from 53,000 to approximately 65,000 by Saturday's release date, significant in a market where 400,000 smartphones were sold in the third quarter. At a special launch event in Seoul, hundreds of people are said to have lined up for as long as 26 hours in order to buy one of the country's first 1,000 iPhones.
Tomorrow's Korean iPhone launch may greatly affect the region's cellphone market, the Associated Press reports. Carrier KT says it has received some 53,000 advance orders, a number described as "phenomenal" by Prudential analyst Hwang Sung-jin. "The iPhone's release will definitely stiffen competition for local companies such as Samsung and LG," Sung-jin adds.
Carrier KT has exposed details of the South Korean iPhone launch, confirming reports that the product will be released locally on November 28th. Plans are set to cost 45,000 ($39), 65,000 ($56) or 95,000 won ($82) per month on contract. Phone prices vary accordingly; a 32GB 3GS is set at 396,000 won ($342) under a base plan, but only 132,000 won ($114) under the most expensive plan. The 16GB 3GS and the 8GB 3G have been made free in some combinations.
The path is now clear for South Korean iPhone sales, reports note. The Korea Communications Commission has granted Apple a license to run location-based services in the country, long a major obstacle to entering the market. Korean cellphones are subject to such restrictions in order to manage privacy violations; with the iPhone, concern is mainly said to have revolved around Google Maps, and the MobileMe service Find My iPhone.
Nintendo is planning to expand its Wii-based video distribution service to reach outside of Japan, according to a regional business publication. The suggested expansion (subscription required) would begin as soon as Nintendo's next fiscal year, and likely involve places such as North America and South Korea. Content is expected to parallel offerings in Japan, in the sense of providing inoffensive cartoons, educational programs and general entertainment. Also present may be ads, possibly including full-length infomercials.
Despite the announcement of a deal by local carrier KT, a South Korean iPhone is still being held up by government licensing issues, says the Korea Times. The Korea Communications Commission has put a hold on approving the device, as a result of the phone's location-based services. In general, any company providing location-based information to Korean customers must have a special license. Companies are often prodded to situate appropriate servers in the country, even though it is not a strict legal requirement.
The iPhone has finally been confirmed for a Korean introduction through the local carrier KT, according to Telecoms Korea. A separate company, SK Telecom, also claims to have been involved in talks with Apple. It remains unclear, however, if Apple plans to offer the smartphone through multiple carriers instead of establishing an exclusive deal.
Apple has agreed to a recall of first-generation iPod nanos in South Korea, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company was asked to perform the recall in a June 25th motion by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, as a result of a number of complaints about batteries overheating or even exploding. "Although the overheating problem doesn't affect the batteries that are being used now in iPod nanos," Apple says in a KATS statement, "concerned customers can get a replacement battery."
Having only recently introduced a regular version of the LCD to North America, LG is now shipping a 3D edition of the 47LH50 in South Korea. The 47-inch TV requires special glasses, but handles processing on its own when displaying supported 3D content. The set is also classified under the XCanvas brand in Korea.
Apple has little active interest in releasing a South Korean iPhone, claims a regional news site. Telecoms Korea cites KTF's VP of handset strategy, Won-Do Lee, who comments that while his carrier is in negotiations with Apple, progress appears to have stalled in part because of a lack of motivation on Apple's part. KTF has objections of its own though, Lee observes.
LG has released a new midrange cellphone, the LU1400. The phone's primary feature is its 2.8-inch LCD, which supports resolutions up to 800x480, and can rotate to a horizontal layout for tasks such as e-mail and instant messaging. Like a number of devices from South Korea the 1400 also supports the T-DMB standard, which provides mobile TV and it is better viewed in the widescreen ratio used by phones like the 1400.
Korea's TG Sambo, more commonly known in North America as Averatec, has announced what should be the first Atom-based mobile Internet device (MID) to be produced within the country. The Lluon Mobbit relies on a 1.33GHz Atom processor, paired with 1GB of 533MHz RAM and a choice of 30GB hard drive or 16GB solid-state drive. A 4.8-inch touchscreen on the device is said to support extremely high resolutions, possibly as sharp as 1024x6000.
The release date for a Korean iPhone is now dependent on government deregulation efforts, writes The Korea Times. The Korea Communications Commission is currently debating the future of WIPI, the wireless software standard which any phone in the country is obliged to follow. WIPI is said to effectively block the sale of foreign devices, however, and through negotiations the US government has pressured South Korea into opening up its market.
Samsung has introduced two new flip-phone designs, the SCH-W570 and SPH-W5700. The phones are unusual for both relying on twin 2.2-inch LCDs; while a standard display is located on the inside, a screen of the same size is located on the outside, with its own touch-based interface used for accessing functions like video and music playback. This also enables use of the phones while closed.
Korean OEM manufacturer Ripple has introduced an updated version of its Mac Mini clone using a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor in the Mini-ITX form factor. The Ripple Mini Chocolate uses the 45nm i945GC-Northbridge and ICH7Ssouthbridge chipsets, and supports up to 2GB of RAM. Intel specs show the low-cost motherboard with 2 USB ports, a pair of 3.0GBs SATA conntectors and single IDE socket.
Not announced with its main wave of Centrino 2 notebooks, HP has revealed another such system in Korea. The Compaq 2730p is a tablet PC with a rotating, 12.1-inch screen, capable of native WXGA resolutions. Internally it is powered by a 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo processor, matched to a GM45 chipset; graphics are supplied by an integrated GMA 4500MHD chip. By default, the system comes with 2GB of 800MHz DDR2 RAM.
The iPhone 3G's next destination may well be South Korea, an update to Apple's main website has exposed. The Job Opportunities section lists an entry for a "Korean iPhone Account Manager," who will be expected to "manage the day to day issues of our chosen carrier, ensure healthy relationship and help develop the market." Apple does not currently sell iPhones in Korea, and it has not formally announced any plans.
Korea's Samsung today announced two new cellphones, the W510 and the F268, at the World IT Show in Seoul. Rather than publicize performance specifications however, the company is concentrating on the reduced environmental damage of their construction. The W510 (pictured) is said to be Samsung's first built with "bioplastic," eschewing synthetic materials for those extracted from corn. The phone is further said to have been built without heavy metals such as mercury or cadmium, and use a water-soluble coating.
Two Asian countries may be engaging in an unusual deal in order to secure the iPhone, according to rumors. Japan's NTT DoCoMo and South Korea's KTF are said by Telecoms Korea to be in talks for a joint release, though the reason for combining the pair's efforts is unknown. The two countries do however rely on W-CDMA broadband, as opposed to the HSPA the 3G iPhone is expected to use in regions such as Canada and the US. It may thus make sense for KTF and DoCoMo to cooperate on a shared iPhone format.
Samsung and Sony are paying 1.8 trillion South Korean won (~$1.9 billion) to upgrade the S-LCD Corporation joint venture, allowing the two companies to produce enough 8G LCD panels to meet global demand. The Wall Street Journal reports that the new manufacturing line will be located in the Tangjeong complex southeast of Seoul, where production will start in 2009. Monthly output is initially expected to reach 60,000 units, versus 50,000 sheets currently.
LG will be rolling out its 8G television line at least half a year ahead of other Taiwanese rivals, including S-LCD, AU Optronics, and Chi Mei Optoelectronics. According to DIGITIMES, the Korean electronics manufacturer already completed its fabrication shells, and has scheduled production to begin by March 2009, and full-scale production of 32 inch OLED TVs to commence in 2011. LG's competitors will start production in late 2008.
The chairman of Samsung, Lee Kun-hee, has been cleared of bribery charges from the South Korean government, but indicted on accusations of tax evasion and breach of trust. The news is the outcome of four months of investigation into executive corruption at the company, in which several members of upper management have been accused of concealing $4.55 billion in Lee's assets. The executives are also alleged to have kept a $200 million slush fund, whose sole purpose was to bribe the likes of politicians and prosecutors.
Korean company MIU has unveiled an unusual new product, the HDPC. Its name standing for "Hybrid Dual Portable Computer," the HDPC functions primarily as a handheld UMPC, running Windows XP. Its four-inch screen displays images at 800x480, and users have access to a QWERTY keyboard as well as a pointer controller, and wireless Internet. By closing the lid however users switch into dedicated phone or media player modes, with extra touches such as a camera, an electronic dictionary and voice recording.
The Korean home division of LG is releasing a new version of its SH150 slider, the SH150A. The A refers to the introduction of a new, 2.2-inch AMOLED screen for the phone, which boosts color depth to an unprecedented 26 million colors -- more than one and a half times the number found on most HDTV sets. This is mainly for the sake of watching DMB mobile TV, which can also be displayed in HD resolution.
Announcing in its home country of Korea, Samsung has launched a new high-end phone, the SCH-W350. Also known as the SPH-W3500, the phone operates as a conventional clamshell device in most circumstances, but when viewing video, the screen can be twisted horizontally to maintain a normal aspect ratio and control scheme. This is increasingly common in Korean phones, but more unusual is the presence of 7.2Mbps HSDPA, faster than the typical 3.6Mbps standard.
Korean company UPOP recently unveiled its first device, a PMP with specifications that are akin to that of a ultra portable laptop, rather than a portable media player. Despite it's miniscule size, the player comes loaded with 30 or 60GB of storage, plus the option for additional space by way of SD cards. The tiny device is similar in design to the Sidekick, but slightly larger, and is navigable with the included stylus and built-in keyboard. Unfortunately the device is only available in Korea, so pricing and availability were not available for North America.
Pixel Lab Korea is launching a new notebook for its home country, the RippleNote T7700. Its name stems not just from a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, but also its lid, which has an unusual weave pattern engraved deep into the outside surface. The styling extends to the inside of the lid as well, which features a glossy screen with a visible metal rim.
Internal specifications include an above-average 2GB of RAM and 1GB of Turbo Memory, along with a 1.3-megapixel webcam and a 7-in-1 card reader; more attractive may be 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, and an abnormally large 160GB hard drive. No prices are available, but the system is unlikely to ship outside of southeast Asia. [via AVING]
