South Korean residents under 30 years of age may initially opt to buy an Android phone but they are making the switch to the iPhone in increasing numbers, says a new report.
85% of South Korean smartphone users aged under 30 had Android phones such as Samsung and LG as their first smartphones. This can be expected when you consider that LG and Samsung are both South Korean companies and South Koreans buy heavily from local firms due to the buyers’ patriotic support. For example, Samsung’s market share in the country was 63%. in the final quarter of 2022.
A new Counterpoint Research study shows that some 53% of those under 30 now own an iPhone. In contrast, for those who started with an iPhone, only 8% have switched to Android.
The study shows that the performance of the iPhone, along with its exceptional camera quality, were the most significant factors in South Korean users’ purchasing decisions, followed closely by the iPhone’s brand image.
Apple recently launched a version of its ‘Shot on iPhone’ promotion in the South Korean market. The campaign promotes the iPhone’s camera performance via a music video by the Korean girl group NewJeans and a short film by director Park Chan-wook.
Chan-wook was one of the first big-name film directors to shoot a film entirely on iPhone back in 2011, on an iPhone 4.