OK, many of us are getting pretty fed up with the B.S. surrounding the iPhone application process for foreigners in Korea.

Heard of the Google’s new phone, Nexus One? If you haven’t let me tell you about it……

It’s a groundbreaking phone in the U.S. because not only is it a fantastic phone, there is an option to buy the phone DIRECTLY from Google without a mobile carrier contract. Yes, the iPhone in America works with a SIM card from a different carrier – same with every other country in the world EXCEPT Korea. However, there’s certain key features that won’t work without being used on AT&T’s network – the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the states.

The Google Nexus One is a game-changer in the states because it truly is an unlocked phone that can be used with full functionality with any carrier that uses a SIM card.

If this phone were to arrive in Korea, it would be a great day for many of us. Cheaper and possibly a better phone without getting locked down on a rip-off 2 year contract (or 1 year if you pay the full 800,000 won up front) with KT – an already notoriously horrible mobile carrier. LG seems to have the best deals, but still expensive, and SK seems middle of the road and most popular in Korea.

Some key features about the Nexus One to be excited about:

-Large 3.7 inch 460 x 800 pixel AMOLED screen (bright, vivid, and slightly larger than the iPhone’s)

-Beautiful design (much more impressive actually holding the phone from what I understand), but still not as beautiful as the iPhone

-1 GHz Snapdragon processor (much faster than the iPhone, able to run multiple applications concurrently unlike iPhone)

-Full touch-screen functionality (same as iPhone, not the lame button-less screens they call touch screen on most “touch screen” phones in Korea)

-Android 2.1 (Google mobile operating system with better integration of Google products like Gmail and Google Maps)

-Google Voice (woo-hoo!)

-5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and video

-WIFI

-AGPS (allows for turn-by-turn directions), compass, long life replaceable (another iPhone pitfall) battery

Pricing:

No contract; $529.99 fully unlocked and can be purchased directly from Google

With contract: $179.99 with 2 year plan with T-Mobile (U.S.)

My Humble Thoughts

The Nexus One is finally a legitimate iPhone competitor with just as good core applications. Most every-day applications are on par if not better than the iPhone’s, but with far less availability of games. Perfect integration of hardware and software like the iPhone which most other phones lack. It’ll be interesting to see if it can take away market-share from the iPhone and it’s far superior App Store and iTunes.

Update:

If it comes to Korea (updated), definitely buying this phone if I can get it to work in the states also. I might have to carry around an iPod separately, but I know I can handle it since I’ve been hauling around both my Korean phone and my iPhone for the past year.

Any word on the street about a Google phone landing on Korea’s shores?

Video ad below is very reminiscent of Apple’s marketing.

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Could it be true? The iPhone is actually coming next week?

The iPhone is rumored to be released on November 28 by KT with 4 service plans, and a maximum data plan of 3 gigabytes (no unlimited plan?).  Service plans range from 35,000 won to 95,000 won per month.

The iconic Apple iPhone is receiving its final approval by the Korea Communications Commission. Recent rumors suggested that SK Telecom was also releasing the iPhone in Korea. However, no news about an SK Telecom release of the iPhone in Korea next week.

You Can Have An iPhone In Korea – For about $1,000 USD Upfront

If you can believe it, you can now actually use your iPhone in Korea with phone capability without Skype. The iPhone screen-shot you see above is of what is claimed as the first working iPhone in Korea.  I just received a barrage of information concerning this.  With the lifting of the WIPI requirement in April earlier this year, it cleared the road for a possible iPhone in Korea. It is only recent development however, with the offering of individual phone radio testing, that has made it possible for a functional iPhone in Korea.

The authentication process is done at the Radio Research Agency of Korea.  The actual certificate is called “Certification for Broadcasting and Communications Equipment.” The testing takes about 5 days, and once completed, merits a certificate like the one below.

From the select few that have had the privilege of using their iPhone in Korea, reviews of operating the iPhone on KT or SK Telecom’s network is bad. Poor reception, dropped calls, and lost text messages.  Battery drains quickly. Certain phones cannot ever send text messages to iPhone properly. These are some of the complaints thus far. I will update this blog regarding this as soon as I get more info. There is speculation that many of this is due to hardware that is not tuned for their networks, and lack of a proper antenna.

Currently, about 10-20 people apply daily for the “Certification of Broadcasting and Communication Equipment.” The price is for the testing, licensing, and certificate costs a total of 360,190 won. This process is necessary so the radio in the phone is “authenticated.” This price does not include the price of an iPhone (anywhere from $300 for a 1st gen iPhone to $800 for a new 32 gig iPhone 3GS) without contract.

Registering Your iPhone with KTF and SK Telecom

You can actually register your iPhone in Korea with both SK Telecom and KTF. However, if you look in the advertisement below, you’ll notice some advantages with KTF. In the advertisement below (hat tip to one of our readers Joseph Kim), there’s a few bonuses in registering your certified Korean iPhone with KTF.

-KT offer’s MMS with their current iPhone service (SK does not offer this with their service)

-Free iPhone Case-Mate case

-Free portable iPhone recharger

-No need to register your phone in-store (you can register through the phone or internet)

-Cheap internet options

-Any calling option is offered with the iPhone in Korea

Is It Worth It?

Am I in a rush to register my iPhone at the moment? No. I have substantial fees for canceling my contract with LG Telecom, plus another 400,000 won to apply for my iPhone to be certified, plus dealing with all the issues current iPhone users in Korea have. I really miss using my iPhone as an actual phone rather than just another device, but the costs and the potential headaches associated with the switch just don’t make sense. Hopefully the iPhone will finally officially arrive in Korea next month, but I’m not holding my breath any longer.

See Also:

How To Use Your iPhone in Korea Using Skype and WIFI

Do Korean SIM cards work in the iPhone in Korea?

Why is the iPhone not in Korea?

iPhone 3G vs the 3GS

아이폰 나는 나의 iPhone 을 정말 좋아한다

Who are the major mobile carriers in Korea?

10 reasons why Korea needs the iPhone

Photo: iPhone with a SIM card ejected.

Question: Will a Korean SIM card work in my iPhone?

Answer:  NO!! It doesn’t matter who you ask. It doesn’t matter how they answer. It doesn’t matter if you have a Ph.D. in mobile phone technology.  You will ultimately find yourself wasting your time. SIM is an acronym for “Subscriber Identity Module.”  A Korean SIM card from a mobile carrier in Korea will not work in your iPhone (including SK Telecom, KTF, and LG Telecom).

The Reason: At the moment, every mobile phone (hand-phone) is required to be registered into the carriers network. That means the actual phone’s serial number, or ID number must match what is allowed on the network. Not only that, each phone model must be approved by the government.  This is mandated by the Korean government. Jail-breaking your iPhone to function with a carrier in Korea will not work.

Your iPhone will not magically jump on the Korean cell phone network simply by inserting a Korean network SIM card. I know it’s frustrating. The best way to use an iPhone in Korea is to either purchase an iPod Touch or an iPhone and dealing with what’s available for the time being. For now, you must be satisfied with using an Interbro ”egg” to provide your iPhone with a local WIFI connection.

You’ll have a high-bandwidth 4G connection for about  $20/month with KT Telecom plus the cost of the “egg” (sometimes called the Yota Egg for about $200). You can register a Korean phone number with Skype for about $30/year plus $10/month for an unlimited calling plan.

See Also:

How to Use the iPhone in Korea (with Skype)

How to use your iPhone in Korea WITHOUT Skype for phone capability

Why is the iPhone not in Korea?

iPhone 3G vs the 3GS

아이폰 나는 나의 iPhone 을 정말 좋아한다

Who are the major mobile carriers in Korea?

10 reasons why Korea needs the iPhone

Confirmed. Could it really be true? Finally? iPhone is coming to Korea at last? In a phone interview just this past Friday:

“Apple iPhone will be in our smartphone line-up. iPhone will help to expand the smartphone market and will contribute to increasing the ARPU” (average revenue per user)

Kim Yeon Hak, Chief Financial Officer, KTF

We’ll see. We’ve been hearing the same thing over and over, although this one seems a little more official.  Despite the seemingly good news, no word yet on when its the iPhone’s arrival in the land of kimchi soup, and no word on pricing.

It is speculated however, that it will be priced similarly to the US – $100 USD for the 3G, $200 USD for the 16 gigabyte 3GS, and $300 USD for the 32 gigabyte 3GS. Additionally, there is talk about Korea possibly being the only country where the iPhone will be released with more than one service provider (SK Telecom is the other contendor).

What’s worse, there’s all kinds of blogs and news sites with even more confusing information containing misleading and false information, and even blatantly obvious fake advertisements like this one:

가짜 KT 아이폰 광고.

After searching the internet and the news, and asking locals of the land of kimchi soup for translations, I have realized that KT and KTF are the same company.  KTF and KT ICOM are subsidiaries of KT Corporation, and KT Freetel is the same as KTF.

This is to clarify which KT is which, once and for all:

KTF, a subsidiary of KT Corporation, is the second largest mobile carrier in Korea

KT Freetel is also known as KTF

KT ICOM is the subsidiary of KT Corporation responsible for WCDMA technology

KT Corporation is South Korea’s largest land-line telephone service provider.

Recently, there have been news everywhere about KTF, KT, Korea Telecom, and SK Telecom and the anticipated debut of the Apple iPhone in South Korea. The iPhone is still unavailable in South Korea, home of the largest manufacturers of handsets in the world.

The photo above shows the video performance difference between the iPhone 3G and the 3GS.

The new iPhone 3GS has some significant improvements over the iPhone 3G. First off, the name is different. Apple added an “S” for the more expensive model to stand for “Speed.” The 3GS is up to twice as fast at loading pages, running software applications, opening email and email attachments due to a faster processor.

Another big feature, available for the first time, is video recording capability on the 3GS. You can easily record video, edit, and share right on your iPhone. This is huge since the iPhone has WIFI where available or 3G speeds if not. Uploading videos to YouTube and other similar video-sharing sites is now a piece of cake.

A third upgrade with the premium 3GS is the higher quality 3 megapixel camera. The biggest difference with this camera isn’t the extra megapixel – its the touch-focus feature. Simply tap on the object you’d like to focus on, and the camera does all the work. Here’s proof.

For all you fans of the new voice control iPod Nano, the same voice control is now part of the upgrade of the new 3GS.  Not only can you control your iPod by merely speaking, you have the same feature for finding contacts on your iPhone. I always felt searching for contacts on my iPhone was the easiest of any phone I’ve ever owned, but now, Apple somehow made it even easier.

Photo above shows the 3G on the left and the 3GS on the right with the “self-orienting”  feature.

Finally, the fifth major difference between the 3G and the 3GS is the new built-in digital compass on the more powerful model. Apple’s intent was not for you to feel like a Boy Scout again with this one.  Their objective is its potential with new applications and its potential when fused with Google Maps. Since it self-orients itself, the map or guide you view will move as you move.  Superior GPS systems will be available with this new feature.

I’m not sure if all 3 models will be available in Korea, or if all features of the iPhone models in the US will be available in Korea.  It would be a pity if KTF or SK Telecom (sounds like KTF may have gotten the contract with Apple) strip any features of the iPhone to protect their profits from internet usage on the Korean iPhones. Nobody knows exactly what prices for the iPhone will be like or how the service contracts will read, but currently in the US, the price for the 8 gigabyte iPhone 3G with a 2 year contract is only $99, $199 for the 3GS with 16 gigabytes of storage, and $299 for the 3GS with 32 gigabytes of storage. Is it worth the price difference? Yes, if you’re like most people. No, if you don’t take pictures or take advantage of the applications.

After 2 years of agony for Korean iPhone fans, it looks as though the iPhone may finally reach the shores of South Korea. Rumors are surfacing about an agreement made between Apple and KTF, one of Korea’s major mobile carriers.  It is undetermined whether both the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS will offered, and there are still questions regarding the availability of WIFI on the Korean version of the popular phone handset. It is speculated that the release of the Apple iPhone in Korea will be later this month or September.  Stay tuned for more information.