iPhones on display at a store in Shanghai, China. (Reuters/Yonhap)
A new survey shows that 7 in 10 Korean adults use smartphones made by Samsung Electronics.But younger age groups showed a preference for iPhones, with around 6 in 10 respondents in their 20s reporting that they used one.On Wednesday, Gallup Korea announced findings from a survey of smartphone use among Korean adults in 2024. The results showed 69% of respondents were using Samsung Galaxy devices.iPhone users accounted for another 23%, while 6% of respondents used smartphones by LG Electronics. LG Electronics shut down its smartphone operations in April 2021, but some respondents appeared to still be using their old devices.Gallup Korea surveyed 1,002 Koreans aged 18 and older throughout Korea on July 2-4. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, with a 95% confidence level.Respondents in their 50s and 60s showed an overwhelming preference for Galaxy smartphones. Eighty-six percent of those in their 60s reported using a Galaxy, compared with just 1% reporting the use of an iPhone.Among those in their 50s, 86% reported using a Galaxy, while 9% reported using an iPhone. Galaxy use was also reported by 77% of those in their 40s and 72% of those in their 70s, far exceeding the respective iPhone use rates of 19% and 2%.iPhone use was especially prevalent among respondents aged 18 to 29. In this demographic, 64% responded that they use an iPhone, while only 34% responded that they use a Galaxy phone. Broken down by gender, a whopping 75% of women in their 20s said they use an iPhone. Among women in their 30s, 59% said they use an iPhone, while only 38% said they use a Galaxy phone. It’s notable that consumers are becoming increasingly more locked into a particular brand and operating system. A mere 10 years ago, around 60% of iPhone and Galaxy users said they planned on purchasing the same brand of smartphone for their next device. Since 2021, this proportion has skyrocketed to nearly 90%. In an analysis, Gallup Korea stated, “As users become accustomed to an increasing variety of smartphone-based platforms, their experiences and data within a specific operating system accumulate over time, making it progressively more difficult to switch to another OS as time goes on.”“The brand of smartphone a user selects in their younger years looks to determine the brand they’ll use in their future,” the report added. Apple’s “lock-in” strategy to keep users tethered to an internal ecosystem which, in turn, keeps them coming back for more Apple products, is demonstrably working.By Kim Kyung-wook, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
