Motorola has thrown down the gauntlet by launching an ultra-slim smartphone in Korea for 550,000 won, even though its global factory price is 1.2 million won. It has moved beyond online-focused sales to secure KT's offline distribution network, and it structured the offer so the phone becomes a "free phone" when customers sign up for a plan in the 60,000-won range with device subsidies. Attention is focused on whether Motorola can grow its presence in Korea's smartphone market, which is dominated by Samsung and Apple.
◇ Launching a "1.2 million won" phone for "550,000 won"… "Korea is an important market for Motorola"
Motorola on the 22nd launched the new ultra-slim smartphone Edge 70 (256GB) in Korea. The product was released in Europe in Nov. last year. The current factory price in Europe, including the U.K., is 699 euros (about 1.2 million won), but the domestic factory price has been slashed to 550,000 won. Compared with the prices of rival ultra-slim smartphones, the Galaxy S25 Edge (1,496,000 won) and the iPhone Air (1.59 million won), it is only about one-third as much. Motorola Korea said, "Korea is an important market, and we consider expanding our share here important," adding, "Despite rising RAM prices, we sharply lowered the domestic factory price to boost cost-effectiveness."
Motorola also changed its domestic distribution strategy. It moved beyond online-focused sales to sign a deal with KT and clinched sales through KT's offline distribution network. KT structured the offer so that customers who sign up for a plan in the 60,000-won range receive 550,000 won in device subsidies, making it a "free phone." Device subsidies are support funds that carriers attach to plan sign-up conditions to reduce the actual purchase price of the device.
A telecom industry official said, "Except for Apple, foreign phones have been distributed domestically only through online unlocked sales. This is also the first time Motorola is selling a premium-grade product through a carrier's offline channel," adding, "It appears Motorola has prepared thoroughly to increase its market share in Korea." According to the industry, 20,000 to 30,000 units of the Edge 70 are expected to be supplied to KT stores nationwide. Some also say it is unusual for a foreign phone, excluding the iPhone, to be supplied to offline stores nationwide.
◇ 5.99 mm "ultra-slim" with a 4,800 mAh battery
The Edge 70 is an ultra-slim smartphone with a thickness of 5.99 mm and a weight of 159 g. Despite being ultra-light, it is equipped with a 4,800 mAh battery. It is 4 g lighter than the Galaxy S25 Edge and 6 g lighter than the iPhone Air. Battery capacity is also 900 mAh more than the Galaxy S25 Edge and 1,651 mAh more than the iPhone Air. While it is 0.19 mm thicker than the Galaxy S25 Edge and 0.39 mm thicker than the iPhone Air, in terms of specs alone, it is being evaluated as having a configuration on par with premium phones in the 1 million won range. The mobile application processor (AP) is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7.
Motorola's domestic launch timing also reads as a calculated choice. It chose January, an off-season with no new releases of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy or Apple's iPhone, to target a gap in the market. The key is whether it can avoid ending as a "one-off buzz" and sustain sales momentum in offline distribution channels. Because the price cut is intertwined with subsidies, it can produce short-term results, but some say it will need long-term marketing policies to overcome the Galaxy and iPhone's barriers. The Galaxy S26, slated for release in Mar., is an immediate variable.
A telecom industry official said, "With Samsung and Apple sharing most of the market, foreign brands find it hard to build trust in sales, after-sales service (AS), and software updates," adding, "The moment a product is displayed in carrier stores, consumer touchpoints broaden, but actual quality can be determined by service responsiveness during the usage period." The official added, "Even if the device price is '0 won' with subsidies, if the contract and plan maintenance conditions are perceived as burdensome, the pace of spread could be limited."