This combined photo shows the members of K-pop group BOYNEXTDOOR taking selfies with an iPhone and displaying their iPhones at Incheon International Airport, Oct. 11. Screenshot from online community

K-pop group BOYNEXTDOOR recently intensified a debate on whether Samsung's years of celebrity collaborations have been successful in promoting its Galaxy smartphones and competing with Apple's iPhones.

The K-pop boy band, previously sponsored by Samsung Electronics, has been embroiled in controversy, as all its six members were spotted taking selfies with an iPhone 16 at Incheon International Airport, Oct. 11, with some of them even wearing Apple's AirPods Max headphones.

Last December, the Korean firm invited BOYNEXTDOOR and its fans to the launching ceremony of the Galaxy S23 FE smartphone, a month after shooting photos with its members to promote the Galaxy Z Flip 5 foldable smartphone on Vogue magazine.

In April, the tech giant sent a coffee truck in support of the boy band, as the idols were prerecording their performance for a music show.

Samsung C&T's fashion division also collaborated with BOYNEXTDOOR to promote its streetwear.

Samsung Electronics' ad for the Galaxy S23 FE launching party with BOYNEXTDOOR / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

“(The members of) BOYNEXTDOOR (are) not Galaxy ambassadors who are obliged to use our smartphones under long-term contracts,” a Samsung Electronics official said.

Earlier this year, Pokimane, a Canadian Moroccan online streamer, caused controversy for her use of an iPhone while livestreaming on her channel, following her participation in the Galaxy S24 Unpacked event to promote the functions of Samsung's new smartphones.

Samsung Electronics explained at that time that she had continued using multiple phones to assess their performance.

IVE's Jang Wonyoung even used an iPhone to share her selfie with Sydney Sweeney during the Galaxy Unpacked event in July last year, which was uploaded on the U.S. actress' Instagram.

IVE's Jang Wonyoung displays a Samsung Galaxy smartphone during the Galaxy Unpacked event at COEX in Seoul in this July 2023 photo. Newsis

BLACKPINK members and Lee Mijoo of Lovelyz are also among the K-pop idols who switched to iPhones after their collaborations with Samsung.

Additionally, BTS' V and Jung Kook started uploading selfies taken with iPhones when their contracts with Samsung ended.

Suga, another BTS member, who was invited to the Galaxy Unpacked event last year and was appointed an honorary employee of Samsung's marketing team, was in the hot seat for driving an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol in August. Suga continues to serve as a Samsung spokesmodel abroad.

Among the Galaxy ambassadors, footballer Son Heung-min has remained loyal to Samsung's smartphones, refusing to use iPhones when asked to take pictures with his fans.

“Samsung should have prioritized upgrading Galaxy's functions with the money it used to sponsor entertainers,” a Galaxy smartphone user said.

Some employees of Samsung have also complained about the company's reliance on stars.

Amid the controversy, Samsung on Thursday released a teaser for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 Special Edition, which will be unveiled next Monday and will hit the shelves next Friday.

It remains to be seen whether Samsung will once again collaborate with famous names to promote the new smartphone, given that the company denied a rumor that it will reconsider its celebrity marketing strategy.