SME Times News Bureau | 24 Nov, 2017
Ahead of the "super-premium" iPhone X launch in
South Korea, regulators have reportedly raided Apple's offices in Seoul.
According to a report in London-based Metro late on Thursday, the raid was
likely to raise questions about whether South Korean authorities were trying to
hamper the success of the iPhone X.
The iPhone X went on sale in the country on Friday.
"Investigators visited Apple's HQ earlier this week to ask questions about
its business practices ahead of the launch of the smartphone," the report
said.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission has been accused of protecting local companies
against competition from Apple and others.
Apple products are very popular in South Korea which is home to Samsung and LG.
In 2016, the investigators began a probe in a bid to discover whether Apple
struck "unfair" contracts with local phone networks.
"It's understood the latest raid is part of this ongoing probe, which was
launched just months after the American firm took action to address officials'
concern about other aunfair' contracts with South Korean firms commissioned to
repair iPhones and other gadgets," the report said.
Apple had 33 per cent market share when it launched iPhone 6 in South Korea in
2015.
Samsung has launched a scheme called "Upgrade To Galaxy" offering up
to 10,000 iPhone users a one-month trial of the Galaxy Note 8 or Galaxy S8.