‘버스폰 전락’ 아이폰 5의 굴욕

출시한지 한달만에 애플의 아이폰 5 스마트폰이 일부 온라인 사이트에서 19만원대 ‘버스폰’으로 전락하게 되면서 업계와 소비자들이 쇼크에 빠졌다.

반면, 삼성전자는 갤러시 S 시리즈를 하루 평균 19만대를 판다고 밝혀, 한때 라이벌 관계였던 두 업체 사이의 간극을 실감하게 했다.

삼성의 갤럭시 S3(왼쪽)과 아이폰 5

실제로, 지난 금요일부터 여러 공동구매 사이트에서 아이폰5를 19만9천원에 판매한다는 스팟이 올라오기 시작했다. 이 가격은 출고가의 4분의 1꼴이다.

거기다 SK텔레콤은 24개월 약정으로 62요금제(기본요금 6만2천원)를 사용하면 한달에 1만6천원씩, 24개월에 38만4천원의 약정 할인을 제공한다. 즉, 19만9천원에 아이폰5를 구매하게 되는 셈이다.

가격 경쟁을 지양하던 애플사 정책의 일환으로 타사에 비해 가격 방어가 상대적으로 컸던 옛 명성도 이젠 사라지게 될 전망이라고 업계 전문가들이 내다봤다. (코리아헤럴드)

iPhone’s low popularity reflected in price fall

By Cho Ji-hyun

Prices of Apple’s iPhone 5 has slid to one-fourth of its shipping price after only a month since the official release.

Apple’s latest smartphone was offered at 199,000 won ($188) at ppomppu.co.kr among other group purchase sites beginning on Friday.

The shipping price of the iPhone 5 was originally set at 814,000 won. However, the handset price has dropped to 329,000 won thanks to the telecom and device manufacturer’s massive subsidies. When the additional promotion fee of 130,000 won kicks in, and the buyer decides on a two-year monthly subscription plan under SK Telecom, the price falls to a solid 199,000 won for the latest iPhone.

The news came as a shock as in the past, telecoms had not needed to grant subsidies for the popular iPhone.

But things started looking different since the release of the iPhone 4S, which was not as popular as expected.

The new iPhone 5 also was showing weaker-than-expected demand in Korea, which has led to the cut in its sales price, industry watchers said.

Samsung Electronics, in contrast, said it has sold an average 190,000 Galaxy S handsets since the phones were first launched in 2010. In total, the company said the lineup has sold over 100 million units as of the end of last year.

(sharon@heraldcorp.com)