South Korean consumers on Wednesday showed mixed reactions to the first-ever red iPhones that are slated for launch here Saturday.

While some welcomed Apple’s efforts to release its smartphones in red as a first in the industry, others downplayed the decision for its irrelevance to technology.

“The red iPhone reminds me of the iPhone C series, which seems shallow,” said a tech blogger here, referring to a previous low-priced colorful series in 2013 that had received criticism at the time for looking less premium due to its polycarbonate exterior.

According to Apple Korea, the company will start receiving online orders at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday for the red iPhone 7 with a 4.7-inch display and 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus.

The two models will come in 128-gigabyte and 256-GB volumes. They will also be available at offline shops on the same day.

The red version will be in matte aluminum.

Some consumers who are planning to replace their smartphones with new ones said that with the new color option, they have more choices to consider.

“I was planning to get LG’s G6, but the news made me wait until Saturday,” said an employee at a local insurer.

The telecom industry expects the surprise launch of red iPhones to divide the local smartphone market segments. LG Electronics launched its latest G6 premium smartphone early this month as the first in the market this year. Samsung Electronics is set to unveil its Galaxy S8 series Wednesday in New York.

“I think the red iPhone is part of Apple’s strategy to retain its presence in the market for the next six months before it launches the next series,” said a source in the telecom industry.

The special edition for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus is part of a 10-year joint project between Apple and (Product) Red, an organization that seeks to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds to help eliminate HIV in Africa.

A certain amount of profits from the special-edition iPhones will be donated for programs designed to combat the virus, according to the firm. 

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)