At an event in Seoul with Nvidia’s CEO, Samsung’s chairman, Lee Jae-yong, noticed the abundance of iPhones among the audience. His playful remark, Why are there so many iPhones here?
, humorously underscores the ongoing competition with Apple, even on his home turf.
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A Surprisingly Non-partisan Audience
The incident happened during a public appearance in Seoul, just before a highly publicized private dinner. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong was on stage with Jensen Huang (Nvidia) and Chung Eui-sun (Hyundai). As Lee noticed many attendees recording the event on their smartphones, he couldn’t resist commenting to the crowd: Thank you, but… why are there so many iPhones?
. The comment naturally elicited laughter from the audience and quickly spread across social media. This gentle jab highlighted the ever-present rivalry between the two tech giants.
The Irony of the Korean Market
The irony of this situation is that it took place in South Korea, a stronghold for Samsung. The company dominates the smartphone market there. Recent statistics from StatCounter indicate that Samsung holds about 68% market share in the country, compared to Apple’s 21%. The presence of numerous Apple devices at a public gathering in Seoul, enough so for the Samsung chairman to notice, represents a significant symbol of Apple’s breakthrough, even in territories considered Samsung’s stronghold. The joke is a testament to the ongoing competitive tension.
A Strategic Dinner with Nvidia
The quip served as a curtain-raiser to a more strategic event. The trio of leaders (Lee, Huang, and Chung) later met for an informal dinner at a fried chicken restaurant in Gangnam. This meal, extensively covered by the Korean media, was anything but casual. It came amidst persistent rumors of major forthcoming chip supply contracts between Nvidia, Samsung, and Hyundai. The focus of their discussions was clearly on the Samsung-Nvidia partnership in AI and semiconductors.
What’s the Takeaway?
Lee Jae-yong’s offhand comment was a quirky bit of PR, showing a relaxed and charismatic leader. It was also a clever way to dominate media space by involving a direct competitor. However, don’t be misled: the real story isn’t the iPhones in the crowd. The true headline is this strategic dinner. The emerging alliance between Samsung (chips, electronics), Nvidia (AI, GPUs), and Hyundai (automotive) is significant for the future of the industry. The joke about Apple almost serves to divert attention from this industrial coalition, which could genuinely unsettle some competitors.