Smartphone war set to rage in Korea

Competition in the domestic smartphone sector is poised to heat up in the second half as handset makers are rolling out new models to take the leadership position in one of the world’s fastest growing markets. 

Apple’s iPhone 4 is scheduled to be launched in September with pre-orders starting Wednesday. Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics plan to release their latest gadgets to challenge Apple’s dominance in their home turf.

The iPhone, which brought the smartphone boom to Korea last year, faces increasing competition from devices based on Google’s Android. 

Apple has sold more than 850,000 units through KT Corp., Korean No. 1 telecom carrier, since its debut here in November.

Its new iPhone 4 was initially scheduled to be released last month. But the plan has been delayed, providing room for its domestic rivals to catch up by revamping their product lineup.

Apple obtained the Korean government’s approval early this month for its domestic release.

KT expects the new iPhone to regain ground as soon as it’s the latest version goes on sale, though many in the industry are not sure that the iPhone 4 will repeat the stellar sales of its predecessor.