BTS Fans Accuse Apple of Using Band for Clout After Purple iPhone Reveal

Tim Chan
·3 min read
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There were a ton of fans who were excited about Apple’s latest iPhone announcement last week, with many rushing to place their orders for the new iPhone 14 and 14 Plus online. But one group of fans who may not have found Apple’s announcement so sweet: the BTS Army.

BTS fans took to Twitter over the weekend jokingly accusing Apple of using BTS for clout, after the tech company unveiled a new iPhone in a “purple” colorway that was suspiciously similar to BTS’s signature hue. What’s more: Apple rival Samsung is an official BTS partner and has had purple phones and earbuds inspired by the group’s official “Bora Purple” colorway for years.

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Samsung’s social media team also had a little fun at Apple’s expense, sending out a tweet that read “COOL STORY BRO” (with the Os in a purple color, natch). In a subsequent tweet, Samsung added “Let us know when it folds,” alluding to the fact that Samsung — and BTS — have been promoting a sleek folding phone and flip phone for years (the latest models, the Galaxy Z Flip4 and Fold4 are available now at Samsung.com). Apple, of course, doesn’t offer a foldable model.

Of course, it could just be a coincidence that Apple introduced a purple shade for its new line of iPhones; the brand previously offered the iPhone 12 in a lavender hue, which is still available to buy here.

The new color though is hitting just a little too on-the-nose for BTS fans. Though Apple is calling their version a “deep purple” shade, ARMY still think it’s too similar to Samsung’s “Bora Purple” colorway, which was seen in the recently-released Galaxy Z Flip4.

“Bora Purple” was chosen by BTS member V a couple years ago as the group’s official color, and is meant to be a declaration of loyalty and love. In fact, both the group and ARMY use the phrase “Borahae” (or “Purple You”) as a way to express their mutual admiration.

BTS have been official ambassadors for Samsung since 2020, and the group has participated in the launch of many new phones for the brand, including the purple Galaxy Z Flip4 earlier this year. Samsung also recently tapped Suga on a new remix of “Over the Horizon,” the official Samsung ringtone.

The Apple vs. Samsung rivalry, meantime, has been a contentious point of debate between both tech enthusiasts and everyday phone users for years, with the Apple vs. Android question bound to elicit passionate defenses from both sides.

Still, while the members of BTS have wisely chosen to stay out of the current fray, it seems brand loyalty may outweigh band loyalty, with some fans saying they’ll always love BTS… but they can’t bring themselves to switch to a Samsung phone just yet.

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