You can get the Galaxy S25 for free without switching carriers. If you change your number, we'll even add a cash incentive.
Since the hacking incident of SK Telecom's USIM (Subscriber Identification Module) became public on April 22, it has been a common topic at mobile phone retailers over the past three months. To prevent subscriber loss after the hacking incident, SK Telecom released a large amount of sales incentives through its mobile phone distribution network, while KT and LG Uplus responded, leading to an unprecedented boom in the number portability market. Samsung Electronics is considered the biggest beneficiary of the fierce competition among the three mobile carriers.
According to Samsung Electronics on the 6th, the domestic sales of the 'Galaxy S25 series' set a record. Launched in February this year, more than 3 million units have been sold domestically in just about five months as of the 1st. This is the shortest period to reach 3 million units among all Galaxy S series. It surpassed the 3 million mark two months faster than its predecessor. The time taken for the Galaxy S25 series to exceed sales of 1 million and 2 million units was also more than 1 to 2 weeks faster than the previous model.
The hacking incident of SK Telecom is credited as the number one factor behind the domestic success of the Galaxy S25 series. As the largest mobile service provider in the country, with 25 million subscribers (including budget carriers), SK Telecom launched large-scale sales incentives over the past three months to prevent customer churn. KT and LG Uplus also uniformly increased sales incentives during this period to attract customers leaving SK Telecom.
As a result, the number portability market enjoyed its biggest boom in the past 11 years. During the period of the Mobile Device Distribution Act (introduced on Oct. 1, 2014, and to be abolished on July 22, 2025), number portability generally maintained around 400,000 to 500,000 cases per month. However, in April, it increased to 690,954 cases and rose to 933,509 in May. It remained high at 666,618 cases in June. Notably, in July, number portability surged to 956,863 cases, recording the 'highest level since the introduction of the Mobile Device Distribution Act.' This was due to the combined effects of 'waiving penalties for SK Telecom' and 'the abolition of the Mobile Device Distribution Act.'
The Galaxy S25 series benefitted from this boom in the number portability market from April to July, which is typically when 'new product effects' wane. This is because it maintained its status as the 'latest flagship smartphone' until the launch of the 'Galaxy Z Fold 7' and 'Galaxy Z Flip 7' on the 25th of last month. The sales incentives increased across the three mobile carriers due to the repercussions of the SK Telecom hacking incident, contributing to sustained high sales even until recently.
In fact, the Galaxy S25 256 gigabyte (GB) model, which has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of 1,155,000 won, became a 'discount phone' that charges an additional 100,000 to 300,000 won at some retailers over the past three months. Regardless of the carrier, if you change your number, you would need to pay over 800,000 won in addition to the announced subsidy of 500,000 won at that time. Similar payments were also made for the Galaxy S25 Plus and Ultra. Mobile phone retailers provide 'rebates' to customers purchasing devices using the sales incentives they receive from the three mobile carriers.
According to web traffic and smart device market research firm StatCounter, last month, Samsung Electronics held a 68% share of the domestic smartphone market, while Apple recorded 23%. The telecommunications industry has analyzed that such a large-scale sales incentive was also applied to Apple's iPhone 16 series, which was launched in September last year, resulting in some profit in terms of domestic sales. However, the level of benefit is expected to be less than that of the Galaxy S25 series.
Stabilization Professor An Jeong-sang at the Graduate School of Communication at Chung-Ang University noted, 'From June to July, prior to the release of the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip 7, Samsung Electronics also provided sales incentives to clear its inventory of the S25 series,' adding, 'The effects of the SK Telecom hacking incident and the manufacturer's incentives have led to a significant increase in sales.' He further stated, 'Apple is stingy about providing sales incentives in Korea,' suggesting that the sales structure of the iPhone 16 series likely could not achieve the 'unprecedented' sales levels seen with the Galaxy S25 series, relying solely on the effects of competition among the three carriers.
Another factor contributing to the remarkable domestic sales record of the Galaxy S25 series is its high level of device completeness. Samsung Electronics has enhanced convenience by incorporating personalized artificial intelligence (AI) features such as 'Now Brief' into the Galaxy S25 series. As a result, it recorded an unprecedented number of pre-sales, hitting 1.3 million units, the highest in the history of the Galaxy S series.
Samsung Electronics stated, 'The Galaxy S25 series contributed to long-term sales due to its popular 'Galaxy AI features,' including generative editing, slow-motion, and audio eraser that consumers frequently use after its launch.' It added, 'In the second half of the year, the flagship models of Galaxy Z Fold and Flip 7 are expected to achieve the highest pre-sale record in the history of Galaxy Foldable series at 1.04 million units, leveraging intuitive AI features.' It further noted, 'We intend to solidify our position in the domestic smartphone market through a sales boom spanning flagship smartphones from the first half to the second half of the year based on AI technology.'