iPhone is picking up popularity in South Korea, especially among the younger generations as Samsung Galaxy’s market share tumbles among Generation Z and young millennials, according to a recent survey shared by The Korea Herald.
Gallup Korea surveyed 1,001 adult participants in South Korea over their smartphone of choice. Unsurprisingly, Samsung took the lion’s share of the country’s market share with 69% of responders claiming they primarily use a Galaxy smartphone, while only 23% claimed they use an iPhone. 8% of users continue to own an LG-made smartphone alongside other unnamed brands, according to the survey.
However, breaking down the survey’s results by age demographic reveals an impending problem for Samsung. The younger population of South Korea appears to prefer the iPhone over Samsung’s offerings, with as much as 60% of surveyees between the ages of 18 and 29 preferring iPhones over Galaxy-branded smartphones, representing a 13% increase for Apple compared to last year. The tides begin to shift in Samsung’s favor as the user’s age goes up, with the South Korean company proclaiming a market share of 56% that slightly edges out Apple’s 41% share for users aged 30 to 39.
| Brand / Age Group | 40-49 | 50-59 | 60-69 | 70+ |
| Samsung | 78% | 80% | 85% | 71% |
| Apple | 10% | 6% | 4% | 1% |
| LG | 2% | 6% | 9% | 20% |
Older millennials, Generation X, and boomers all vastly prefer Samsung over the iPhone, the survey found. Nearly 80% of all users in these generations prefer to use a Samsung smartphone, whereas Apple’s market share hovers around 10% and even drops to single-digit figures for older age groups. Apple even lags behind LG with users aged 60 and above, with only 1% of users in the 70+ demographic reported to be using an iPhone.
The survey also revealed that a significant 85 percent of respondents expressed their intention to remain loyal to their current brand. This high level of customer loyalty is attributed to the seamless cross-device syncing and data-sharing capabilities within products of the same brand. As a result, the iPhone’s market share in South Korea could experience substantial long-term growth.
Gallup Korea owes the iPhone’s growing popularity to a number of factors. Apple’s premium brand is especially appealing to the younger generation, and the research firm suspects that the introduction of Apple Pay in South Korea earlier this year helped Apple strengthen its foot and appeal in the country. The company also inaugurated its Apple Gangnam retail store in March, which happens to be Korea’s fifth Apple Store location.
