[비즈한국] Xiaomi has begun its full-scale entry into the Korean market with the launch of its premium "15 Ultra" smartphone series, but its initial steps have been met with significant turmoil. The launch was marred by confusion over the "100-won camera kit" promotion, and the company faced accusations of undermining consumer trust by discounting the product's price just four days after launch, only to later cancel those benefits.
On March 25, Xiaomi officially released the "Xiaomi 15 Ultra" in Korea. While Xiaomi had previously focused on entry-level models in the local market, it began a serious effort to expand its presence in Korea with the official launch of the 15 Ultra, a collaboration with Leica. The domestic retail price was set at 1,699,000 won, approximately 30% cheaper than in Europe. The company also offered a bold incentive: a "camera kit" worth approximately 200,000 won for only 100 won to those who purchased the device on the launch day. Xiaomi released three colors in Korea—black, white, and silver chrome—and the consumer response was positive enough that the silver chrome model sold out on the day of the release.
However, the promotion caused problems due to inconsistent application periods for the 100-won camera kit across different retailers. Xiaomi announced three official sales channels: the Xiaomi website, Naver035420, and Coupang. A user identified as 'A,' who purchased the Xiaomi 15 Ultra on launch day, stated, "I couldn't register the coupon after buying it through Naver. I inquired about it because it was strange, and I was told that registration was only possible after March 30. But it turned out it wasn't March 30; rather, coupons for Naver and Coupang could only be registered 30 days after purchase. If they had stated that clearly from the beginning, I would have bought it through the Xiaomi website," they pointed out.
Another user, 'B,' also said, "I knew about the launch day benefits from reading news articles, but I couldn't find specific details. It was only after calling Xiaomi's customer service multiple times that I learned about the coupon distribution schedule and method."
There was further confusion regarding the event. Even after the launch day, Xiaomi kept notices on sales pages stating that customers could register for the 100-won camera kit upon purchasing the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. User 'C,' who bought the product via Coupang on March 26, said, "At the time, the product page showed the 100-won camera kit benefit, so I naturally assumed this price would apply to me." In response, Xiaomi Korea clarified, "The delay in updating promotional banners on non-official retail channels was intended to show the QR code for the official website where the coupon exchange is possible. The benefit was indeed limited to launch day purchasers."
The controversy intensified on March 28 when a Gmarket live broadcast was scheduled. When it was announced that the phone would be sold for 1,521,000 won—a discount of over 10% from the retail price just four days after the launch—with additional perks like a camera kit, a genuine charger, and Xiaomi point rewards, "launch day purchasers" flooded the company with complaints.
Ultimately, Xiaomi significantly scaled back the benefits for the Gmarket live event held on the 29th. The price discount and free charger were canceled, and the camera kit gift was restricted to a "limited" quantity. Regarding the sudden reduction in benefits, a Gmarket representative stated, "Due to the brand's circumstances, the event details were inevitably changed. We apologize for the confusion caused to our customers." Xiaomi Korea, on the other hand, only stated, "The decision was made after an internal review."
User 'D,' who identified as a loyal Xiaomi customer, remarked, "Once the Gmarket live announcement was made, existing customers started talking about whether they should return their phones and repurchase them. If you drop the price just a few days after launch, who would buy on the actual launch day? What’s more absurd is that the live benefits suddenly disappeared after the backlash. They should have provided additional benefits to the initial buyers instead."
Xiaomi, having established itself in the Korean market with a "value for money" image, sought to rebrand itself by highlighting a premium model, but it has suffered a blow to its brand credibility from the very start of its marketing efforts.
Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer science at Inha University, pointed out, "They ran a promotion that would make first-day customers feel a sense of betrayal. It is questionable how they planned their marketing strategy before the phone's release. Furthermore, when such problems arise, there should have been compensation, such as providing additional benefits to those already affected."