For most hardcore Apple fans around the world, the company's decision to hold off the iPhone 12 5G announcement event until mid-October obviously means they will need to wait a little longer than in other years to be able to purchase a hot new mobile device with iOS.
But prospective buyers in one market could actually get Apple's first-ever 5G-enabled handsets right on their typical schedule if not a tad earlier. We're talking about a pretty major market too, which the Cupertino-based tech giant largely ignored in the past for one simple and fairly obvious reason.
This time around, however, the US company must be feeling that it actually stands a chance challenging Samsung's domestic reign. Yes, South Korea has been dominated by the local hero since forever, but the advent of 5G networks may give Apple a previously inaccessible opening to first place.
Only one month to go?
We know, we know, that feels like an eternity for folks in the Western Hemisphere, who got their first chance to order the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max on September 20, 2019. But the same devices only expanded to South Korea on October 25 last year, so if The Korea Herald's sources prove accurate, seeing the "iPhone 12 series" hit regional stores in "late October or early November" could put a big smile on the faces of mobile consumers around those parts.
Traditionally, Apple likes to commercially release its new iPhone generations in waves, with the 11 family barely reaching Korean shores in their fourth wave of availability, following previous rollouts in select global markets on September 20, September 27, and October 18.
Given that the iPhone 12 5G lineup is pretty much guaranteed to break cover on October 13 now, a "late October or early November" commercial debut in South Korea almost certainly means the country will be part of the second wave of sales this year.
If you're wondering what might have changed between 2019 and 2020, the answer is obviously 5G. Samsung's homeland stands out with its towering adoption of the next cellular standard, and unsurprisingly, the world's largest smartphone vendor is number one in the region, with a mind-blowing 67 percent share of all Q2 2020 sales.
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Apple was a distant second between April and June, with a modest 19 percent slice of the overall local pie, but the iPhone 12 roster is widely expected to rock the fledgling 5G industry, and what better way to humiliate your arch-rival than threaten its domestic supremacy?
How many iPhone 12 versions will actually go on sale soon?
Assuming today's report is to be trusted, we're still left with a very important unanswered question. Well, several if we include all the mysteries and uncertainties surrounding the detailed specs and features of Apple's future high-enders, but one if we only consider the availability aspect.
Namely, how many members of the 5G-capable iPhone 12 family can we expect to hit stores in South Korea as early as late October and even earlier in other markets like the US? As you may already be aware, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has long been rumored to arrive a little later than the other three main variants due primarily to its integration of a mmWave modem designed to support Verizon's blazing fast 5G Ultra Wideband network.
Some sources claim the non-Pro 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max could end up becoming available alongside the 6.7-inch 12 Pro Max sometime in November, while the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro are likely to go up for pre-order shortly after their rumored October 13 announcement ahead of an actual commercial release before the month wraps up.
Keep in mind that the entire quartet is all but guaranteed to support low and mid-band 5G connectivity for the likes of T-Mobile and AT&T, with a fifth member of the family possibly dubbed iPhone 12 mini purportedly keeping its cellular speeds limited to the 4G LTE mark and thus unlikely to be released in the US or South Korea.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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