Korean Gen Z drifts to Galaxy as ‘young 40s’ cling to iPhone

Visitors pose for the camera as they participate at an experience zone hosted by Samsung Electronics to promote its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 in southern Seoul’s Coex in July 2025. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

[BEHIND THE NUMBERS]
 
It has been two years since 26-year-old Kim Seon-ah ditched her iPhone 12 Mini for a Galaxy S23, and she hasn’t looked back. For her, Apple’s once-irresistible cool factor — the sleek aesthetic that hooked a generation on iPods, MacBooks and iPhones — no longer carries the same weight as before. Nor does the iPhone’s signature camera, which has long been a must-have accessory for youths eager to curate their best selves in the social media age.
 
“I’m a freelancer, so convenience and practicality matter more than aesthetics,” Kim told the Korea JoongAng Daily, citing call recording and Samsung Pay as must-have features. “And honestly, Galaxy’s design is just as pretty as iPhone’s now. A better camera stopped mattering once I realized my photography skills weren’t all that great anyway.”
 
Kim has never been a core Apple fan — she’s hopped between iPhones and Galaxys over the years, and never bought into Apple’s wider ecosystem. But now, she says she’s staying put with Galaxy, driven less by nostalgia than by practicality.
 
Her story is a snapshot of a growing trend: Apple’s once-ironclad grip on Korea’s youth is loosening, while Samsung is shaking up the market with sleeker designs and useful AI features to win over the undecided middle ground. The brand’s cultlike allure, once the badge of youth, is increasingly migrating more to older consumers, labeled “young forty” in Korea, eager to cling to Apple’s name as a marker of trendiness.
 
For Samsung, the shift offers a crucial chance to reinvent itself and move past its reputation as a phone for middle-aged men — captured in the nickname “ajae phone,” with ajae being Korean slang for a man in his forties or older.
 
 
Wrestling for the youth market
A tug-of-war over younger users is showing up in the numbers. According to a July survey by Gallup Korea, smartphones now reach 98 percent of Koreans, with brand loyalties shifting most visibly among people in their 20s.
 

Visitors experience Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 at an experience zone at The Hyundai Seoul, western Seoul, on July 13. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

 
Apple still leads this influential subset, but Samsung has gained ground, climbing six percentage points this year to hold 40 percent of Koreans in their 20s. Meanwhile, Apple has slipped, capturing just 60 percent. The reversal is notable compared to two years ago, when Apple’s presence among the age group grew 13 percentage points year-on-year to 65 percent, leaving Samsung with just 32 percent of the demographic.
 
Several Galaxy owners cited practical features as the reason behind their shift. Live Transcription and Translation, which converts calls into real-time voice-to-text, were highlighted as especially useful for work meetings in foreign languages. Others pointed to the “Circle to Search with Gemini” feature, which makes pulling text or images from the web easy.
 
Kim Kyoung-min, a 31-year-old who replaced his iPhone X with the midrange Galaxy A35 last year, said he switched for work and cost reasons, avoiding the million-won-plus price tag of newer iPhones. Like many in his circle, Kim doesn’t feel bound to Apple’s brand.
 
“I’ve seen acquaintances even 10 years younger than me go for Galaxy,” he said. “They seem to value practicality over design or trendiness, and Galaxy offers features that make life in Korea more convenient.”
 
 

“Young forties” want Apple?
The lead that Apple held over users has tipped over to an older generation. For that age group, its presence rose to 31 percent, up 12 points from 2024, while Samsung dropped to 67 percent. Just a year earlier, Apple’s increase with this group had been marginal.
 

A caricature meme of a ″young forty″ consumer clad in brands reminiscent of Supreme, Nike, and new iPhone 17 Pro [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
“I think more people in their 40s are moving to iPhones because many of them were once considered early adopters and still want to hold onto that image,” said Cho, a 43-year-old iPhone user who asked to be identified by his surname. “And for those who started with iPhones when they were younger, it’s also about sticking with what they know as they get older and are less willing to change.”
 
The lead-up to the iPhone 17 launch hasn’t helped Apple’s streak. Expectations were high, but design critiques — especially over bulkier camera bumps — and an underwhelming show on Apple Intelligence have taken some of the shine off. On social media, caricature memes of “young-forty” men proudly brandishing iPhone 17 Pros — often in bright colors like orange — have spread, paired with nods to brands like Supreme, crossbody bags and Nike shopping bags to project a casual look with a hint of luxury. The phrase “young forty,” coined by younger office workers, refers to people in their 40s, often observed to be their supervisors, who still see themselves as youthful and trendy. 
 

A man takes images of the new iPhone 17 Pro smartphones as they are displayed at the Apple store in Beijing’s Sanlitun area during the start of sales on Sept. 19. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

 
Samsung rides design shift
Samsung plans to keep leaning on design-centric models to win back younger users.
 
“The Flip is popular among youths for its compact, stylish form and the fun of customizing the cover screen,” a Samsung Electronics spokesperson said, noting the two design-focused models released before the survey. “The ultra-slim Galaxy Edge, launched in May, also struck a chord with younger buyers who are especially sensitive to design.”
 

The new Galaxy Z Fold 7 is displayed during a Samsung preview event in New York on July 7. [AP/YONHAP]

 
From the start, the Flip series, which debuted in February 2020, was built to target one of Galaxy’s weakest points: women in their twenties. Its makeup-compact form factor, small-bag portability, and personalized accessories really resonated with this group.
 
Gallup Korea’s survey also suggests a coming shift in women’s preferences. Among female users aged 18 to 29, 36 percent said they would choose Samsung next time, up 12 points from a year earlier, while Apple slid 11 points to 61 percent. In other words, a notable portion of current iPhone owners signaled they plan to switch.
 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 phones are displayed during an event in New York on July 8. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

 
Samsung was a step ahead of Apple for its release of slimmed-down models beginning with its S25 Edge in May, followed by Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 two months after. 
 
Industry tracker Counterpoint Research said Samsung smartphones made up 82 percent of domestic sales between January and July, a four-point increase from the same period last year, crediting stronger demand for Galaxy flagship models among younger consumers. Apple, meanwhile, trailed far behind at 18 percent.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [[email protected]]