Nameo_

boltsfan17 said:

gmgravytrain said:

That's quite a surprise. They way people talk it's as though S. Koreans want nothing to do with Apple iPhones because supposedly Samsung flagship smartphones are considered much superior with all their fancy features. I really hope Apple knows what it is doing. Is this considered a good move on Apple's part? It sure will be amusing to see if the Apple store stays packed with customers.

Having spent a lot of time in Korea, Apple is extremely popular there. It's seen as a premium western brand and people in Korea love western things. I'm sure the new Apple store will be a huge hit with Koreans. 

When did you spend time in S. Korea? I'm asking because things have changed quite a lot there. As someone who was once a Korean citizen and still talks with a lot of local Koreans, I can tell you that Apple is no longer a premium brand in there. In fact, Apple's market share there is around 20-30% while Samsung's is usually >40%, with even LG having ~10% of the market share. iPhones are definitely popular among younger generations like those in their 20's to 30's, but then at the same time, there are lots of haters in those generations, too. A lot of Sammy fans try to insult Apple and their users, and vice versa. They even have their own version of the word "iSheep," and it's called App-deung-ee. Not sure what it exactly means but I know for sure it's supposed to be insulting. What's funny about them is, when Samsung announces record earnings, people would praise them and say they're so proud, but when Apple does the same (and earn more than Samsung did), then they would go say "That means Apple products are overpriced their poor users are getting ripped off." Also, those in their 40's and older, tend to show strong loyalty to Samsung and LG simply because they're Korean companies.