By Sam Boughedda
The Wall Street Journal said Monday that consumers globally are increasingly selecting Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhones over Android smartphones, with younger users increasingly seeing the iPhone as a must-have item.
The rise in demand for Apple's smartphones is seen as pushing the company toward the level of dominance globally that it has enjoyed in the U.S.
The WSJ states that from Europe to Asia, the tech giant's lead in the premium smartphone bracket is increasing, with polls showing that teens and early 20-year-olds (Gen Z) are increasingly drawn by the iPhone's design, cameras and AirDrop features.
In addition, the report states that the rise in iPhone dominance globally is putting Samsung (KS:005930), the company's main smartphone rival, under pressure, with Apple's reputation in South Korea, Samsung's backyard, growing.
Citing poll data from Gallup Korea, the WSJ said around 52% of people aged 18 to 29 in South Korea were using an iPhone as of 2022, rising from 44% two years earlier. Meanwhile, Samsung's share of this age group fell to 44% from 45%, although Samsung smartphones remain the most prevalent for all older age groups.
In addition, the report, citing a poll last year by Canalys of 4,000 individuals from the U.K., Germany, Spain and Italy, states that in Western Europe, Android users under 25 were three times more likely to prefer Apple for their next smartphone compared to older age groups.