Visitors line up at an Apple store in downtown Seoul on Oct. 7, 2022 to purchase Apple’s new flagship iPhone 14 smartphones on the day of their release in South Korea. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — Nine out of 10 young smartphone users in their teens and 20s opted for an Android phone as their initial smartphone, but over half of them eventually transitioned to iPhone smartphones.
According to the report by industry tracker Counterpoint Research, about 85 percent of Korean smartphone users under the age of 30 chose an Android phone, including those manufactured by Samsung Electronics, for their first smartphone.
Their pronounced inclination toward Android phones can be attributed to parents who select the initial smartphones for their adolescent children.
Nevertheless, around 53 percent of respondents indicated that they now utilize iPhones. As for the rationale behind their switch to Apple devices, 32 percent cited performance, closely followed by brand image at 31 percent.
The report demonstrated that heightened expectations and satisfaction with camera performance significantly influenced the adoption of iPhones.
Another contributing factor is Apple’s recent Shot on iPhone campaign in the South Korean market, in which the company collaborated with local celebrities such as the girl group NewJeans and movie director Park Chan-wook.
In the meantime, among those who chose an iPhone as their first smartphone, 92 percent continue to use iPhones. And 76 percent of them expressed no intention of switching to Android phones in the foreseeable future.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
