이통3사, '번이'보다 '기변' 장려금 높여…가입자 유치경쟁 소강

South Korea's telecom operators are shifting from aggressive subscriber acquisition battles to prioritize device upgrades, signaling a maturing market where competition is stabilizing. With higher subsidies now favoring existing customers who upgrade phones over new carrier switchers, the industry is pivoting toward hardware refresh cycles as the primary revenue driver. This reflects cooling market competition and Samsung's strategic partnership to sustain Galaxy S26 momentum beyond initial launch phases.