"Apple is Sophisticated, Samsung is Friendly" Brand Evaluation by Generation Z

Brand Loyalty Is Higher for Apple

University students perceive Apple products as "trendy and sophisticated," while Samsung Electronics products are seen as having a "practical and friendly image."

Binulabs, the operator of the university community "Everytime," announced the "Gen Z Electronic Device Trend Report" on the 10th based on a survey of users.

Among the respondents, 89% (multiple selections allowed) chose the image of the Apple brand as "trendy (latest fashion)." Additionally, 88% selected adjectives such as "sophisticated" and "luxurious" to describe Apple. This suggests that Apple's premium strategy is having a significant effect among Gen Z.

However, there were also negative images. 70% responded that they perceive Apple products as "unfriendly." This seems to be influenced by relatively demanding after-sales service, low compatibility, and high prices.

Samsung Electronics (left) and Apple logos. / Photo by Yonhap News

Unlike Apple, Samsung's image was mainly described as "friendly (79%)," "practical (78%)," and "trustworthy (75%)." There were fewer trendy images like those associated with Apple. The percentages of respondents who described Samsung as "sophisticated" and "luxurious" were only 24% each.

Respondents showed particularly high loyalty to the Apple brand. Among those using Apple smartphones, 87% said they would choose Apple again for their next phone, which is 13 percentage points (p) higher than the 74% of Samsung phone users who said they would continue with the brand.

More than half of Koreans in their teens and twenties use iPhones

In South Korea, the preference for the Apple brand among the 10-20 age group is steadily increasing. According to a survey conducted by Korea Gallup in July last year targeting 1,000 people nationwide, the main smartphone brand used by the 10-20 age group was iPhone (52%), surpassing the majority. This is a 3%p increase compared to the 2019 survey (49%).

Gallup cited "peer group culture" as a reason why young people prefer Apple. Seeing their friends use iPhones naturally leads other teenagers to want Apple products. Apple is famous for its so-called "Apple ecosystem," which supports strong connectivity among devices using the same iOS.

Representative features include "AirDrop," which allows instant photo sharing among iPhone or iPad users, and "iMessage," a messaging service unique to iPhones. While this creates a barrier outside the iOS ecosystem, it provides the best consumer experience to users of the same Apple products, thereby increasing brand loyalty.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.