Budget iPhone is sold out in the first day of presales

Apple's iPhone SE2. [SK Telecom]

Apple’s budget iPhone SE is selling well if pre-release orders are any indication.

Some retailers said Wednesday that they were completely out of preorder inventory on the first day of sales.

Three major carriers ? SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ ? started accepting early orders for the second generation of the iPhone SE, alongside authorized resellers including e-commerce sites Coupang, 11st and Frisbee.

The affordable version of the iPhone comes in three colors ? black, white and red ? and three storage options: 64, 128 and 256 gigabytes.
All variations of the new iPhone SE sold out at Coupang and Frisbee as of 5 p.m., while only white and black models with 64 gigabytes of storage remain available at 11st.

The preorder will last through May 5, a day before the official launch.

The new release starts at 539,000 won ($443) for the lowest storage option, 605,000 won for the 128-gigabytes version and 748,000 won for 256-gigabyte option.

Fitted with a 12-megapixel camera, the iPhone SE is powered by Apple’s A13 Bionic processor and wireless charging. Another notable feature is the return of the home button.

The iPhone SE went head to head with the Samsung Electronics’ low-cost, 5G-enabled Galaxy A51. Preorders for that phone were also taken starting Wednesday.

While the specific sales figures are not available, the A51, which retails for 572,000 won, were still in stock at Coupang and 11st as of 5:30 p.m.
The biggest difference between the phones is that the A51 supports 5G connectivity, the next-generation wireless technology whereas the iPhone only connects with 4G LTE.

The new Galaxy has a 48-megapixel main camera and 32-megapixel selfie camera, along with a 12-megapixel ultra wide camera.

Its screen is a 6.5-inch Super Amoled Infinity-O display.

The A51’s official launch is set for May 7.

BY PARK EUN-JEE [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]

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