By Yoon Sung-won
Adults in the United States want a Samsung Electronics Galaxy S8 for a present, even more than an Apple iPhone X, a survey showed Sunday.
According to U.S. market research company Propeller Insights, 38 percent of U.S. adults answered they want a Galaxy S8 the most for a holiday present, compared to the iPhone X at 20 percent. The proportion of respondents who want an iPhone 8 is 22 percent, the survey shows.
In the survey, which Propeller Insights conducted at the request of U.S. e-commerce firm Ebates, the market tracker asked U.S. consumers ― 1,034 adults and 507 teenagers ― about the presents they want for year-end holidays such as Christmas.
The results are notable not just because the survey was done in the United States, the home turf of the iPhone, but also for the explosive popularity of the iPhone X worldwide. Apple launched the iPhone X on Nov. 3 in 55 countries around the globe to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. But the iPhone X has also drawn criticism as its cheapest model sells for $999.
The survey, on the other hand, showed contrasting results from teenagers. Only 28 percent of teenage respondents said they want a Galaxy S8 for a holiday present, whereas 35 percent of them picked the iPhone X. Another 35 percent said they want the iPhone 8, showing strong support for the iPhone among young people in the country.
U.S. media including Forbes and USA Today pointed out that the iPhone X's lack of a headphone jack and fingerprint scanner, in spite of its higher price, is influencing adults to prefer Galaxy smartphones, which are not only less expensive but also have the two features.
In an online YouTube commercial, Samsung Electronics depicts a boy who chooses to buy a Galaxy Note 8 following his girlfriend, after using iPhones for the last 10 years. The U.S. media said this commercial is Samsung's ridicule for the inconveniences of the iPhone.
Samsung Electronics is seeking to boost its sales of Galaxy smartphones during the upcoming holiday season starting with Black Friday this week.
The company plans to offer a special Black Friday discount for both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 and offer a compatible virtual reality camera for those who buy one of the smartphones. In particular, it will offer a $150 discount for the Galaxy S8 series smartphones through the Microsoft Online Store.
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