85% of South Koreans Under 30 Bought Android as First Smartphone But Now 53% Use iPhone [Survey]

A new survey of South Koreans under 30 by Counterpoint Research found that 85% of smartphone owners purchased Android as their first smartphone but now 53% use iPhone.

According to the report, South Korean first-time smartphone buyers in that age group give priority to the preference of those with real purchasing power, such as parents, when buying their first smartphone. "Recommendation from family or friends" was the number one survey response to why Android was selected as their first smartphone.

When asked why they switched from Android to iPhone, respondents cited "Performance" (32%) and "Brand image" (31%) as the first and second priorities. Notably, the iPhone's camera had biggest impact on purchasing.


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. Besides, 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.

The survey also found that Apple has solidified the loyalty of its base in South Korea. 92% of respondents who purchased an iPhone as their first device are still using the brand and 76% of them say they are not willing to use Android in the future. The respondents cited dissatisfaction with Android phones' "Design" (52%) and "Performance" (29%) as reasons.

For users who did switch from iPhone to Android, they cited easy-to-use features such as Samsung Pay and UI as the differentiating factors. Notably, these are the same reasons given by current iPhone owners that would consider switching to Android in the future.

More details in the full report linked below...


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