LG: South Korean wireless carriers were against the Nexus 4 because it was too affordable

[BookReader2]

The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - Nexus 4 to Go on Sale in Korea After All

LG Electronics will release the Nexus 4 smartphone developed in collaboration with Google in Korea after all, the company said Thursday. Radio wave certification is completed and the handset will be sold unlocked as early as next month, even though mobile carriers have turned up their nose at the affordable gadget.

With a 4.7-inch screen, the Nexus 4 has a top-of-the-range Qualcomm quad-core processor but costs only around W400,000 (US$1=W1,069). LG at first said that it would not release the phone here because the mobile carriers were against it, but consumer demand persuaded it otherwise.

"At present, we are discussing the price, sales channels and supply volume with Google," said an LG staffer.

The Nexus 4 available here is expected to cost more than overseas because of added distribution costs and VAT.

I guess the carriers don't want the Nexus 4 to disturb the status quo (aka high margin from selling phones in their retail stores). Too bad Google Play Store doesn't sell devices in South Korea.


Look like supply is going strong as LG is set to sell it in South Korea "as early as next month."

October: 70,000 produced
November: 90,000 produced
December: 210,000 produced
January: 500,000+ to be produced very likely (385,000 have been produced as of Jan 22nd. With 9 more days to go and only 115,000 needed to breach that 500,000 barrier).

If demand is solid, February could see lot in production.

 

[BillyDan]

If they produced 500k in Jan, where have they gone on sale? Not in Can, or the US I don't think.....?

 

[BookReader2]

If they produced 500k in Jan, where have they gone on sale? Not in Can, or the US I don't think.....?

It can take up to 2-3 weeks from phone coming off the production line to phone in customer hand.

So the phone that was produced back in January 5th might just get to the customer today.

As for sales, T-Mobile stores are getting plenty of them in stock.

Here's an example taken from a customer posting:

Bought: 19-01-2013 (MediaMarkt Germany webshop)
Received: 22-01-2012

S/N 301K (Korea, January 2013) 413xxx
HW version: rev_11

the device was the 413,xxx in the production line.
It was delivered on January 22nd.




424110 10-th AUSGBK
425110 8-th AUSGBK
430110 5-th ATMOBK
435110 5-th ATMOBK
445110 9-th ATMOBK
450110 9-th ATMOBK
451110 8-th ANEUBK "EUROPE OPEN" - something new
455110 8-th ANEUBK
456110 8-th ACAGBK CANADA_OPEN
461110 8-th ATMOBK
463110 8-th ADEGBK
465110 8-th ADEGBK
467110 9-th ADEGBK
469110 9-th ADEGBK
471110 9-th ATMOBK
474110 9-th ATMOBK
476110 9-th ATMOBK
479110 9-th AUS8BK
482110 9-th ATMOBK
485110 10-th AUKGBK "UNITED KINGDOM_OPEN"
487110 10-th AUKGBK
489110 10-th AUKGBK
491110 10-th AAVCBK VIDEOTRON - seems to be a Canadian telco?
493110 10-th ADEUBK
495110 10-th ADEUBK
497110 10-th AISRBK
499500 10-th AUKGBK
502035 11-th AUSGBK
507035 11-th AUSGBK
512035 11-th AUS8BK
513035 11-th AUS8BK

 

[BillyDan]

So they are still catching up on back order commitments......wow.....

They have not been on sale in Canada since early Dec (when I bought mine - received it 3 weeks later), and I don't think the play store in the US has had them either.

Still blows me away that they have ramped up production but can't bring the product back to market. Google is still playing catch-up.

Generally you want to surf or be on the leading edge of a wave and not find yourself drowning behind it

 

[anon(847090)]

isnt this illegal or something. kind of like price fixing scandle that happened for LCD TV's

 

[minnemike]

So they are still catching up on back order commitments......wow.....

They have not been on sale in Canada since early Dec (when I bought mine - received it 3 weeks later), and I don't think the play store in the US has had them either.

Still blows me away that they have ramped up production but can't bring the product back to market. Google is still playing catch-up.

Generally you want to surf or be on the leading edge of a wave and not find yourself drowning behind it

Looks like they are fulfilling carrier quotas now too.

Nexus 4 coming to Rogers and Fido "early February" | MobileSyrup.com