Report: Gen Z Consumers Pick Apple Over Android in Samsung’s Backyard

Consumers worldwide are reportedly flocking more and more to iPhones over Android devices.

That shift, driven by younger consumers, could give Apple the same global market dominance it already captured in the United States, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Monday (Feb. 27).

Apple’s market lead is growing from Europe to Asia as Generation Z consumers increasingly view iPhones as must-have devices, per the report, good news following a year in which Apple saw a decline in phone sales and during a year in which device shipments are projected to slow.

Even in South Korea — home to Android maker Samsung — Apple has been flexing its muscles, the report stated. The company has four stores in the country and will soon make Apple Pay available for the first time.

A little more than half of all Koreans between 18 and 29 were using an iPhone last year, the report said, citing data from Gallup Korea. That’s up from 44% in 2020. During that same time period, Samsung’s share of that age bracket dropped from 45% to 44%. (Samsung phones remain the preferred choice of older consumers in Korea.)

Earlier this month, Apple reported that its revenue of $117.2 billion for the quarter that ended in December represented a 5% drop from the same quarter in the prior year. The company said that was due to COVID-19 restrictions and global disruptions hampering shipments of the new line of iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, along with other hardware.

Device makers could face further obstacles this year, as cash-strapped consumers put off buying new electronics, according to a report last month by research firm Gartner, which projected sales of phones and PCs will fall for the second straight year.

“The depressed economic market will continue to dampen demand for devices throughout 2023,” Ranjit Atwal, senior director analyst at Gartner, said in a news release. “In fact, end-user spending on devices is projected to decline 5.1% in 2023.”

Gartner anticipated that global shipments of devices — defined here as PCs, mobile phones and tablets — will dip 4.4% this year to 1.7 billion units, following a drop of 11.9% last year.

Meanwhile, many younger consumers are often able to pay more for higher-end products — whether that means the latest iteration of the iPhone or luxury clothing — because they are still living at home with their parents.

A report late last year by Morgan Stanley found that 48% of those between the ages of 18 and 29 in the U.S. are living rent-free at home, while in the U.K., 42% of those between the ages of 15 and 34 are still residing with their parents.