South Korean under-30s tend to buy Android first, then switch to iPhone

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (left) and Apple's iPhone 14 Pro

New research claims that while 85% of South Koreans aged under 30 will have first bought an Android phone, more than half then switch to Apple's iPhone.

The iPhone is already holding up well against Android in the declining US smartphone market, and it's even expanding more than rivals in China. Now new figures from Counterpoint Research show that the number of switchers to iPhone is high even in South Korea, home of Apple's largest rival, Samsung.

First-ever smartphone versus current smartphone for South Korean under-30s. Source: Counterpoint

While Counterpoint doesn't give precise figures, it says that from its survey, about 85% of South Korean smartphone users younger than 30, had an Android as their first phone. But now in that same survey, 55% were using iPhones.

"The reason why Android phones account for a very high proportion of first-time smartphone purchases in South Korea," write Counterpoint analysts in a statement, "is that most users in that age group, particularly adolescence, give priority to the preference of those with real purchasing power, such as parents, when buying their first smartphone."

Asked about their decision to switch, 32% cited performance, and 31% gave "brand image" as their priority.

Plus among those surveyed who said an iPhone was their first-ever phone, 92% of them said they still used Apple. Some 76% of those said they would not switch to Android, with 52% giving design as the reason, and 29% saying performance.

However, of users who had switched from iPhone to Android, over half said that it was because of easy-to-use features such as Samsung Pay, and Android's user interface. These users were reportedly similar in their certainty that they would not switch back.