Rumored iPhone 16 release says Apple plans to overtake Samsung

Apple is in a bit of a quandary right now. The company is struggling in China and playing catch-up on artificial intelligence. It also doesn’t help that the iPhone 16 is rumored to be a slight upgrade over the iPhone 15. The company reportedly wants to play on the popularity of its smartphones in South Korea to challenge Samsung’s dominance on its home turf.

The company is reportedly looking to play on the popularity of its smartphones in South Korea.

Apple phones are being released in waves around the world. South Korea is not usually among the first batch of countries where a new iPhone is released. One reason is that electronic devices released in Korea must be certified by the National Radio Research Agency, at which point there is a high likelihood that the device’s specifications will be leaked.

Since Apple —s a secretive company, it doesn’t like to risk leaking product information before launch. This year, it may act more boldly. Korean publication ETNews reports that for the first time since 2009, customers in South Korea will be among the first to get the iPhone 16. The information was reported by telecom operators in South Korea, who refused to deny the rumors, but did not openly admit that South Korea is among the markets where the iPhone 16 will be released first. The report also hints that the iPhone 16 will be released sometime in early to mid-September. By comparison, the iPhone 15 was released on Oct. 13 in South Korea, a few weeks after it began selling on Sept. 22 in primary markets.

The iPhone 16 will be released on Oct. 13 in South Korea, a few weeks after it began selling on Sept. 22 in primary markets.

Apple is looking to increase its market dominance, and given that young people in South Korea prefer iPhones to Galaxy smartphones, that strategy could help it win over those who may gravitate toward Samsung because of its emphasis on artificial intelligence features. The iPhone 15 was hugely popular in South Korea at launch, but the Galaxy S24 also did very well. Data shows that Samsung’s latest flagship broke pre-order records in several markets, including its home country, surpassing the Galaxy S8 in popularity.

Samsung’s latest flagship broke pre-order records in several markets, including its home country, surpassing the Galaxy S8 in popularity.