A new study has shown that Apple’s lawsuit against Samsung has actually helped spike sales for the South Korean firm.
According to the Localytics report, two
specific instances helped sales of the Samsung Galaxy S III. The first
was the verdict in the lawsuit filed by Apple against the South Korean
firm alleging patent infringement. The verdict saw Samsung Galaxy S III
saw spike by nearly 16 percent during the 21-27 August week. You can
view the chart here.
The report argues that the press coverage not only helped Samsung
become a recognisable name but the constant comparisons between the
iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy S III suggested that the devices were
rather similar thus making them a decent option for consumers to
consider. A key point to be remembered is that after the verdict in
early September, the Galaxy S III outsold the iPhone 4S for the first time ever in the US.
The second spike was due to the announcement of the iPhone 5, on 12
September. Again the report states that stories comparing the two
smartphones suggested they were similarly capable. This
resulted in a 15 percent spike in Galaxy S III sales in the week
immediately following the launch of Apple’s flagship device.
For this research, Localytics studied the number of new Samsung
Galaxy S III handsets seen by apps using Localytics from July 31 to
October 1, and computed the week-over-week, global growth in total new
devices.
The report theorises that this trend could indicate that users
aren’t just tied down to one OS system and perhaps choose to compare
all devices and features before going for a smartphone.
However it could also signal a shifting tide in sentiment towards
Samsung. The lawsuits and ‘walled garden’ nature of Apple’s iOS system
has led to a perception that the company is proprietary,
anti-competition and a bully.
Both firms are currently embroiled in a lawsuit. Samsung wants the
iPhone 5 banned for patent violations while Apple wants the same for
the Galaxy SIII.

