South Korea's three mobile carriers plan to start preorders for the latest iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus this week, industry sources said Sunday, a move that may cause a dent in sales of high-end models from local brands Samsung and LG, according to Yonhap News.

 SK Telecom Co., KT Corp., and LG Uplus will begin preorders Monday, ahead of the official release slated for Friday at both online and offline shops, the report said.



 While the mobile carriers earlier planned to start preorders last week, the launch was delayed. Some market watchers said it was possibly due to an advisory from telecom authorities to avoid overheating in the market, Yonhap said.

 First showcased in September in the United States, the new iPhones boast improved cameras of 12-megapixels and "3D Touch" feather that allows the device to sense how much pressure a user applies to the display.

 Ahead of the release, local manufacturers Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. have been making efforts to gain competitiveness over the new iPhones.

 Earlier this month, Samsung Electronics slashed the price on the 64GB Galaxy S6 to 799,700 won ($705) from the previous 924,000 won.

 LG Electronics also commenced with sales of the 5.7-inch LG V10 that features a QHD IPS Quantum display and a small rectangular display above the larger screen with a factory price of 799,700 won. It is rare for a South Korean tech giant to release a flagship model with an initial local price of below 800,000 won, according to the Yonhap report.  (khnews@heraldcorp.com)