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Introducing the essential kit for K-pop concerts: a T-shirt featuring your favorite artist’s name, a band light stick, and a rented Samsung phone equipped with an incredibly sharp zoom.
K-pop fans eager to capture moments with their favorite idols have established a niche in the South Korean tech market, with many renting Samsung Galaxy phones for daily use.
K-pop concerts frequently sell out vast arenas with capacities exceeding 16,000, like the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, making high-quality zoom capabilities essential for those seated far from the stage.
As a result, phones with 10x optical zoom lenses have become vital tools for concert attendees.
More than a dozen establishedbusinesses in Southeast Asia provideday rentals of devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra for less than $50.
Both models, launched in February 2023 and January 2024, respectively, feature impressive 10x optical zoom lenses. Samsung did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comments regarding this story.
$30 to rent a Samsung phone for a day
Across Southeast Asia, small businesses and individuals provide phone rentals for concertgoers. In South Korea, the heart of K-pop, this market is particularly thriving.
One such service is Snapshoot, founded in 2022, offering phone rentals for 30,000 to 50,000 South Korean won (approximately $22 to $37) per day.
Mingwan Jeong, Snapshoot’s founder, shared that the business serves hundreds of customers monthly, increasingly attracting clientele from countries like Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
“When Samsung launched the S22 Ultra, their marketing emphasized its ability to ‘photograph the moon,'” Jeong explained. “Fans quickly recognized that this advanced camera would help them capture clear images of their idols during concerts.”
He noted that Snapshoot began with a small inventory of 10 phones in 2022 and now maintains several hundred devices on hand.
Another example is Woori Mobile Service, a South Korean telecom that started phone rentals in 2023, with collection points at Seoul’s Konkuk University and the trendy Sinchondistrict. A pickup location is also available at Seoul’s Incheon airport for international customers.
“Many of our customers didn’t own the latest smartphones or wished to avoid the hassle of international roaming,” said Han Da Bean, a Woori Mobile spokesperson.
The company rents out the S23 and S24 models, charging 35,000 won (about $25) per day, plus a 10,000 won daily reservation fee.
Woori Mobile
“Samsung’s flagship models such as the S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra excel in camera and audio quality, particularly in low-light and concert settings, making them perfect for fans who wish to capture memories in high definition,” Han noted.
He mentioned that Woori Mobile caters to 50 to 100 rental customers monthly, often renting phones for three to seven days at a time. Activity surges during major K-pop festivals and tour seasons.
Woori Mobile maintains a stock of about 20 Samsung devices but plans to expand to other models, including the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip series, along with mid-range options for budget-conscious users.
Forholiday, a luggage storage and rental service in Seoul, also offers phone rentals, with their services available on Klook. The company has provided phones to over 2,000 customers according to Klook listings.
They offer the S23 Ultra for 11,800 won and the S24 Ultra for 15,700 won daily.
Forholiday’s CEO, Shin Dong-min, noted that their rentals serve as a budget-friendly alternative for fans.
“It can be quite a financial burden to purchase expensive smartphones for short-term use,” Shin explained.
He added that Forholiday experiences peak demand during concerts featuring popular boy bands like BTS, Seventeen, Stray Kids, and Zerobaseone.
Worth every cent
Many K-pop fans who have rented phones for concerts attest that the expenditure was justified.
“I own an iPhone 11, which is decent, but its camera is limited to 3x zoom, making it challenging to capture close-up fancams from any seat beyond VIP,” remarked Ghia Hong, a Malaysian content creator, in an interview with BI.
TikTok user wanderwithgaby shared her experience renting a Samsung S25 for 50,000 South Korean won.
“It was the best investment I’ve made,” she wrote alongside a zoomed-in fan video of BTS member J-Hope.
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A+ marketing for Samsung
While Samsung smartphones are not the only ones boasting excellent zoom capabilities, they are certainly making waves.
Google’s Pixel 9 Pro claims to deliver pictures comparable to a 10x optical zoom, while Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro features a 5x optical zoom function and a digital zoom option up to 25x. Other Asian brands like Oppo, Huawei, and Xiaomi are strong competitors as well.
Nonetheless, the rental service is enhancing Samsung’s brand image significantly.
Parker Burton, a tech reviewer and content creator on YouTube with over a million followers, notes that Samsung became the preferred phone choice due to its strong fan base in South Korea.
“A significant factor is that it’s a well-known brand that evokes trust and loyalty within the community,” Burton stated.
Catherine Bautista, a partner at Flying Fish Lab, a Singapore-based branding consultancy, remarked that Samsung has intertwined itself with fan culture, making it “the go-to option for K-pop enthusiasts.”
“By offering Galaxy S23/S24 Ultra rentals for K-pop concerts, Samsung not only stands out in terms of specifications but also meets a niche demand, turning fans into brand advocates,” she explained.
Bautista further emphasized Samsung’s position as the “official phone of K-pop,” citing its sponsorship of concerts, collaboration with popular idols in advertising, and special edition phone releases.
Recently, Samsung enlisted Felix Lee, a member of the band Stray Kids, as its latest ambassador. Lee, who also represents fashion giant Louis Vuitton, is featured in the advertising campaign for the brand’s new ultra-slim Galaxy S25 Edge phone.
With Stray Kids embarking on a massive 34-city tour, the group’s fans can revel in every moment, singing, dancing, and capturing close-ups of their beloved idols.
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