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Apple Getting Closer to Launching iPhone in South Korea?

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,537
30,847


The Chosun Ilbo reports that Apple has posted a job listing for a "Korea iPhone Account Manager" based out of Seoul, suggesting that Apple may be getting closer to launching the iPhone 3G in South Korea. According to the listing, the responsibilities of the position are to "manage the day to day issues of our chosen carrier, ensure healthy relationship and help develop the market."

The Chosun Ilbo notes that negotiations between Apple and potential Korean carriers are rumored to have not been proceeding well, due at least in part to the requirement that all phones used in South Korea utilize the country's Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability (WIPI) platform. However, this new job listing suggests that Apple may be becoming more optimistic about the prospects of an agreement being reached.

Article Link
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/17/apple-getting-closer-to-launching-iphone-in-south-korea/
poppe

poppe

macrumors 68020
Apr 29, 2006
2,242
51
Woodland Hills
MacRumors said:


The Chosun Ilbo reports that Apple has posted a job listing for a "Korea iPhone Account Manager" based out of Seoul, suggesting that Apple may be getting closer to launching the iPhone 3G in South Korea. According to the listing, the responsibilities of the position are to "manage the day to day issues of our chosen carrier, ensure healthy relationship and help develop the market."

The Chosun Ilbo notes that negotiations between Apple and potential Korean carriers are rumored to have not been proceeding well, due at least in part to the requirement that all phones used in South Korea utilize the country's Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability (WIPI) platform. However, this new job listing suggests that Apple may be becoming more optimistic about the prospects of an agreement being reached.

Article Link
Click to expand...

Because I am lazy and perhaps it would benefit anyone else who is not going to look up WIPI, can someone please explain to me what this is?
 
edesignuk

edesignuk

Moderator emeritus
Mar 25, 2002
19,232
2
London, England
poppe said:
Because I am lazy and perhaps it would benefit anyone else who is not going to look up WIPI, can someone please explain to me what this is?
Click to expand...
here, let me help your laziness.

<2 seconds later>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WIPI said:
WIPI (Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability) is a middleware platform used in South Korea that allows mobile phones, regarless of manufacturer or carrier, to run internet applications. The specification was created by the Mobile Platform Special Subcommittee of the Korea Wireless Internet Standardization Forum (KWISF).

The South Korean government requires that all cellular phones sold in that country include the WIPI platform. This has prevented most foreign manufacturers from selling their phones in Korea. The government recently revised its rules to allow low-cost phones using 3G (third generation) mobile phone technology to be sold without the WIPI platform, if they do not have internet functionality. Phones that can access the internet will still be required to include the WIPI platform.

As of June 2008, There are movements for abolishing it as the Apple iPhone 3G was unveiled at June 9th, 2008. WIPI is becoming the main reason blocking the iPhone 3G from coming to Korea. Also, there is atmosphere of antipathy within the government about it. After few years since its start, WIPI is becoming a system that is blocking the development of Information Technology in Korea.
Click to expand...
 
shigzeo

shigzeo

macrumors 6502a
Dec 14, 2005
711
77
Japan
i don't know much but i am excited by the prospect of this as recently i have found that i will be moving to s. korea as my wife needs to change jobs from canada to there! go figure!
 
Y

yyy

macrumors regular
Feb 10, 2007
192
17
CaptainHaddock said:
The iPhone doesn't even support Korean input, does it?
Click to expand...

It doesn't seem like Apple chooses to release the iPhone in a specific country only if it supports the local language. For example, the iPhone doesn't support Arabic or right to left text and it will be released in Arab countries.

Now I just hope Israel will be one of the next countries to release the iPhone officially - it's about time.
 
W

wonderbread57

macrumors 6502
Jun 11, 2008
455
2
Apple announced 70 countries. Possibly maybe adding south Korea isn't much of a scoop. I mean really, who the hell cares?

If you had said North Korea, that would be a scoop.
 
G

GregUofMN

macrumors regular
Nov 15, 2003
183
0
What the?

I've been waiting for 2 black 16gb iphones since last Friday. Ive called every Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin Apple store daily, called every ATT store daily, checked ebay, craigslist daily for "reasonably" priced phones. How about we supply waiting people in our own country first?

I've checked Chicago, New York, San Franscico and they all have a surpluss supply. Maybe those will be sent to one of the Koreas.
 
W

wallinbl

macrumors regular
Jan 11, 2003
144
206
I thought Korea was CDMA. I can't seem to get a signal on a GSM phone wile there, but my CDMA BlackBerry works.
 
M

mixedsig

macrumors newbie
Aug 22, 2005
7
0
South
Strongholds of Samsung and LG

I should say that Samsung and LG smartphones are much better in terms of the hardware performance and function. (iPhone integration is very lousy - at least 20 chipsets for RF!) US market has seen only 10% of the variety sold in Korea., and US cell phone market is about 1-3 years delayed than Korean market. They already have live video chat cell phones (it's a some-years old news for Korean).
 
L

Ludde

macrumors regular
Apr 24, 2007
119
0
Well, they do have Korean input(YES! I'll be able to write and mail in Korean on my iPhone when I get one!), and there's a Korean App-store, so let's hope for a Korean iPhone-release and a Korean iTunes store!

...AND it'd be very nice if they'd stop limiting access to other countries stores and limiting you to one account per mail address. :(
 
P

puercaeli

macrumors regular
May 10, 2008
233
2
GregUofMN said:
What the?

I've been waiting for 2 black 16gb iphones since last Friday. Ive called every Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin Apple store daily, called every ATT store daily, checked ebay, craigslist daily for "reasonably" priced phones. How about we supply waiting people in our own country first?

I've checked Chicago, New York, San Franscico and they all have a surpluss supply. Maybe those will be sent to one of the Koreas.
Click to expand...

hello? Seeing that this job notice went up few days ago it is clear that Apple has not even set the inventory set for Korea. also a lot of people say iphone will not be released in Korea until September at the earliest.

if you want to complain come to Australia, they seem to have never ending fountain of iPhones...
 
G

GregUofMN

macrumors regular
Nov 15, 2003
183
0
puercaeli said:
hello? Seeing that this job notice went up few days ago it is clear that Apple has not even set the inventory set for Korea. also a lot of people say iphone will not be released in Korea until September at the earliest.

if you want to complain come to Australia, they seem to have never ending fountain of iPhones...
Click to expand...

I completely understand. However, we're almost in August now. And based on the number of US stores that are sold out, Apple needs to crank out millions of those babies. Especially since there are 20+ more countries then on the first iPhone release, they need to have a substantial stock before adding more places to the list.

By the way, you have no idea how close I am to fly to Australia and buying one... although since some store in the US still have them, I would probably just go there. ;)
 
M

mixedsig

macrumors newbie
Aug 22, 2005
7
0
South
sushi said:
Please provide source.

TIA
Click to expand...

I saw they show the RF parts and power usage of iPhone in a session of Design Automation Conference (Anaheim, 2008) exhibition floor. They were using mix of Samsung, Infineon, etc - total about 20 chips for wireless. The photo they showed was pretty ugly - use of PCB area and many different sizes of chips. I wish I can provide you a reference, and I'll dig some more. I met a friend at Qualcomm, and he claimed that Q has a 1-chip solution for all - CDMA, GSM, bluetooth, and WiFi. For iPhone, by using many chips, power consumption, integration volume, defect probability, and reliability would be worse.

It's a link for the DAC session: (not much info though)
http://www.dac.com/events/eventdetails.aspx?id=77-113
 
sushi

sushi

Moderator emeritus
Jul 19, 2002
15,639
3
キャンプスワ&#
You might find these pics interesting.

I assume there are some chips on the other side of the logic board.
 

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R

RoboCop001

macrumors 68000
Oct 4, 2005
1,561
451
Toronto, Canada
sushi said:
You might find these pics interesting.

I assume there are some chips on the other side of the logic board.
Click to expand...

That's interesting. On the right side it has 3 chips relating to WCDMA. Is that just a coincidence or is that the 3G equivalent of CDMA?

But those are designated as "Power Amp." Hmm....

Well, I know nothing about cell tech except for the names GSM and CDMA. But would all they have to do is replace the transceiver chip to a CDMA one? Or is it a lot more involved?
 
N

nuxxun

macrumors newbie
Jul 19, 2008
1
0
This is the best news i've heard in a long time. i'd already have had a previous gen iphone if it were possible to get them working in south korea.

will the new iphone have the parts to get it working in s. korea? if so it doesn't really matter whether or not it is coming here officially.
 
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