Samsung Electronics has become younger. Market indicators show that the Galaxy smartphone, which was once given the stigma of being an 'The Man from Nowhere' phone, is capturing the hearts of those in their 10s and 20s. Not only in products but also in marketing, by selecting characters and celebrities popular among the younger generation as models, it is generating positive responses. Consequently, analyses suggest that the brand affinity for Samsung Electronics itself is increasing.
According to the results of a recent 'smartphone-related survey' announced by Korea Gallup on the 24th, the usage and purchase intention of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy smartphones among those aged 10 to 30 have increased compared to the previous year. Since 2012, Korea Gallup has been conducting annual surveys related to smartphones with about 1,000 respondents.
In this year's survey, 72% of respondents identified Samsung Electronics' Galaxy as the 'current smartphone brand they are using.' This is a 3 percentage point increase from the previous year. Samsung Electronics appears to be leading the domestic smartphone market, with a 48 percentage point difference from Apple iPhone at 24%.
The increasing proportion of '18-29-year-old' smartphone users choosing Samsung Electronics' Galaxy is analyzed to have contributed to the overall increase in usage. Samsung Electronics' Galaxy has received responses at a level of 80-90% among those aged 50 and over in this survey every year. This year, among those aged 18 to 29, it recorded a 10 percentage point increase from the previous year, reaching 40%. Although Apple iPhone shows a higher figure at 60%, the gap between the two companies has narrowed by 10 percentage points compared to last year, now standing at 20 percentage points.
The changes are more clearly evident in the section asking about the 'smartphone brands they intend to purchase in the future.' In the survey of smartphone users aged 18 to 29 this year, the percentage of those who answered that they would buy Samsung Electronics' Galaxy increased by 10 percentage points over the year, reaching 46%. Meanwhile, Apple iPhone recorded a 10 percentage point decrease from the previous year, standing at 50%.
◇ Slimmer and lighter foldable phones… Galaxy AI differentiated from iPhone
Until last year, Samsung Electronics' Galaxy showed a continuous decline in response rates among the younger generation. However, this year, both usage rates and purchase rates have rebounded. Industry insiders point to the completeness of the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip7, officially launched on the 25th of last month, as the background for this change.
The Galaxy foldable series had been viewed as synonymous with 'The Man from Nowhere' among those in their 10s and 20s due to its heavy and thick design. However, this new product is made to be the lightest and thinnest among Samsung Electronics' foldable smartphones, leading to positive responses regarding the Galaxy brand itself.
In particular, the Galaxy Z Fold7 has a thickness of 8.9 mm when folded. This is only a 0.7 mm difference compared to the bar-shaped Galaxy S25 Ultra released earlier this year. It also weighs a light 215 g. When unfolded, its thickness is just 4.2 mm.
Thanks to this design change, the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip7 achieved 1.04 million units sold during the domestic pre-sale conducted from the 15th to the 21st of last month. This marks the highest pre-sale record for any Galaxy foldable.
Analyses suggest that the difference in artificial intelligence (AI) technology between Samsung Electronics and Apple is also positively contributing to their targeting of the younger generation. Various social media (SNS) platforms are featuring popular video content that compares the AI image editing features of Galaxy and iPhone. A short video posted by a foreign YouTuber comparing the image deletion features of Galaxy and iPhone has exceeded 59.2 million views. An industry insider noted, 'Content addressing the differences in AI technology between Samsung and Apple is gaining attention across various SNS platforms where users aged 10 to 30 are highly active, which may have influenced the increase in Galaxy smartphone sales.'
According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, from January to July this year, Samsung Electronics held an 82% share of the domestic smartphone market. The 'largest market share ever' is attributed to the initial success of the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip7 and the demand for the Galaxy S25 series led by AI technology. Counterpoint stated, 'Recently, demand for Samsung Galaxy flagship smartphones has risen significantly among younger generations.'
◇ Marketing that captures the hearts of the younger generation… 'Samsung Electronics is living it up'
Samsung Electronics' marketing approach is also capturing the attention of the younger generation. Since the 13th, Samsung Electronics has been distributing a Galaxy theme based on the popular Netflix animated movie 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' (hereinafter referred to as Kedeheon) for free. The Galaxy theme allows customization of lock screens, wallpapers, icons, and other elements as a package.
Released in June, 'Kedeheon' rapidly rose to become the highest-grossing animated title on Netflix and continues to rank in the top 10 viewing rankings in approximately 90 countries worldwide. The original soundtrack (OST) 'Golden' also topped the main singles chart, 'Hot 100,' on the Billboard in the United States on the 11th.
Samsung Electronics did not disclose specific download figures for the Kedeheon Galaxy theme, but noted, 'It is recording a daily download rate comparable to the total daily downloads across all themes in the Galaxy Store.'
Recently released promotional videos are also generating buzz among the younger generation. The brand advertisement video 'OLED: Feel the rhythm of T1 and the champions,' launched with the professional gamer Faker (Lee Sang-hyuk) and 'Beatbox World Champion' Wing from 'Beatbox House,' has quickly gained word-of-mouth among fans of both sides, amassing over 810,000 views on YouTube alone within just 11 days of its release.
Faker and Wing are also known for their similarities, which Samsung Electronics used to introduce the key gaming performance of its organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs and monitors, the 'Glare-Free' feature (minimizing light reflection). The world's first 500 Hertz ultra-high refresh rate is metaphorically expressed through the increasingly rapid beats of Beatbox House, along with features like the Samsung OLED safeguard+ to prevent burn-in, reflecting the attributes of T1's players.
Professor Lee Eun-hee from Inha University stated, 'The high completeness of the 'foldable experience' that Apple iPhone cannot offer is a factor in Samsung Electronics' brand popularity among the younger generation.' She added, 'While marketing techniques can be quickly imitated by competitors, product technology has a high barrier to entry and can create sufficient differentiation.'