Samsung is said to not accept LG's decision to sell iPhones in its stores after they quit the mobile phone business.
As previously reported, LG is reportedly negotiating with Apple to sell the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch in its stores. LG currently has more than 400 LG Best Stores in South Korea which will have empty spaces after LG no longer sells its mobile phones.
Well, Samsung reportedly did not accept LG's decision which would benefit its competitors. The bottom line is that Samsung and LG have an agreement signed in May 2018, which states that LG stores can only sell LG phones, and Samsung stores can only sell Samsung phones.
According to Samsung, selling iPhones at LG stores is a violation of the agreement. But LG claims the deal is negotiable if there are major changes, in which case LG has stopped doing business with mobile phones.
But if LG sells iPhones in its stores, it fears it will affect other cell phone distributors, which are actually protected parties in the agreement.
It seems that what Samsung is afraid of is the iPhone market share that can increase if the product is sold in LG stores, which is quite significant in South Korea.
The reason is that currently the iPhone 12 is the 5G phone with the largest market share, reaching 29.8%, and Samsung is only in 4th position in the 5G phone market share.
It is not yet known when the partnership between Apple and LG will begin, but some observers expect this cooperation to begin in late July 2021 after LG exits the mobile phone business entirely.
But not all Apple products will be sold at LG stores. The two companies are reportedly at loggerheads over the sale of Apple-made laptops and computers at LG Best Shops. Apple itself currently only has two Apple Stores in South Korea.
Apple wants to be able to sell laptops and Mac computers in stores. But LG also sells its own laptops, and feels at a loss if it has to sell Apple laptops and computers. They also will not provide repair services for Apple computer devices.
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BUSINESS & MONEY