|
The much-hyped BlackBerry handheld devices have belatedly arrived on Korean soil, where homegrown smartphones have long held sway. SK Telecom on Tuesday it announced the official launch of the phones made by Canada's RIM.
The launch is tipped to intensify competition in the field here. Apple's iPhone, which caused a global sensation when it was launched, will be sold in Korea starting in April next year, with Apple in the final stages of negotiations with SK Telecom, KTF and other domestic carriers. Popular smartphone makers such as Taiwan's HTC, Nokia, Sony Ericsson are all waiting to launch their products in Korea.
Experts say while IT product sales will drop due to the global economic crisis, smartphones are the exception. Market researcher Gartner says by 2011, global smartphone sales will reach 550 million units, accounting for 30 percent of all mobile phone sales.
More than 20 million people in around 150 countries, mainly in North America and western Europe, subscribe to BlackBerry services. The biggest selling point of BlackBerrys is their ability to connect with Intranet, mail and notices anywhere in the world. They can even open Excel and Powerpoint attachment files.
 |
|
Models pose with BlackBerry phones, which were launched by SK Telecom in Seoul on Tuesday. /Courtesy of SK Telecom
|
 |
|
The TOmnia handsets SK Telecom and Samsung Electronics joined hands to market sold 15,000 units just three weeks after their release. If the iPhone is marketed here next year as planned, industry watchers predict a huge impact. TOmnia and iPhones are highly regarded for their ease of use despite offering multiple functions. By saving addresses and schedules into the handsets, users can check them using their PCs at home or in the office. Equipped with GPS functions, the handsets even tell users where the nearest coffee shop is.
Experts say the war over smartphones is just starting. Bae Jun-dong, SK Telecom's senior vice president, said Korea's mobile phone market is saturated, with 93.6 percent of the public owning cell phones, and this requires new "growth engines."
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
