South Koreans under 30 years of age are switching from Android to iPhone in substantial numbers, according to a new report.
The shift is significant in a country where patriotic support for local brand Samsung is usually extremely strong …
It’s no surprise to learn that 85% of South Korean smartphone users aged under 30 had Android phones such as Samsung and LG as their first smartphones. Support for local brands is generally very high, and it’s also common for younger adults to be influenced by their parents.
In the final quarter of last year, for example, Samsung’s market share in the country was 63%.
Top comment by pika2000
It makes sense to me now that lay people are switching to iPhones. As "buggy" iOS is, somehow it still "just works" for most people compared to Android, especially once the device interact with other devices. Take CarPlay vs Android Auto. Sure, Google Asistant is better than Siri, but Android Auto still cannot even route audio of calls properly to the car's audio system. I mean that's basic. As bad Apple is on other things, at least they seem to get the basics right.
Small things like this will annoy consumers, and sooner or later, they will switch. Geeks and nerds can deal with those irregularities, but lay people don't have time for those.
This is coming from me, an Android user.
But younger smartphone owners are switching to iPhone in significant numbers. 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 performance of the iPhone – especially with respect to camera quality – was the most significant factor, closely followed by brand image. This has been helped by a Shot on iPhone ad campaign in South Korea.
As for the reason for switching from an Android phone to an iPhone, respondents cited “Performance” (32%) and “Brand image” (31%) as the first and second priorities.
In particular, in terms of performance, satisfaction and expectation with the camera had the greatest impact on the purchase decision. Apple operates a number of R&D centers specializing in imaging technology and is evaluated to have maximized the camera performance of its devices by achieving good harmony between hardware and software.
Additionally, Apple recently launched a campaign called ‘Shot on iPhone’ in the South Korean market. The campaign emphasizes the iPhone’s camera performance through collaboration with a music video by 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, using an iPhone 4 back in 2011. This was partly a marketing initiative, as it was part-funded by iPhone carrier KT Corp. More recently, Chan-wook shot another film last year on the iPhone 13 Pro.
Photo of Seoul: Zequn Gui/Unsplash
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