$1 billion. That’s how much Apple’s court win against Samsung is worth. And while Samsung is still appealing that decision and counter-suing Apple, all this attention on the legal battle seems to have some unexpected positive results for the South Korean electronics company, specifically on their flagship Android smartphone, the Galaxy S III.
Analytics company Localytics has taken a look at Samsung’s sales numbers following Apple’s victory and the announcement of the iPhone 5. Surprisingly, none of these seem to have had a negative impact on the Galaxy S III and, in fact, seems to be helped increase sales:
“The first spike in weekly growth coincides with the same week that a jury awardedApple $1 billion for Samsung infringing on Apple’s patents. The deluge of post-litigation press coverage both drove general attention to Samsung and suggested that Samsung devices were similar enough to iPhones to be an option for many consumers.
“The second spike started the week of September 12, when Apple announced the new iPhone 5. Apple’s announcement was quickly followed by hundreds of stories comparing the two phones, most of which again suggested they were similarly capable. That combined with the slowdown in new Galaxy S3 growth seen leading up to Apple’s announcement (week-over-week new devices were the same as the previous week, resulting in 0% growth) suggest that many consumers were waiting to hear about the new iPhone before making a decision.”
The study doesn’t provide any the actual number of units sold not does it go into the sales numbers of the iPhone 5 at this time. Still, it’s surprising to know that the Galaxy S III’s sales jumped up by 9 percent. People didn’t seem to care that Samsung was at the losing end of the lawsuit and their competitor was announcing the iPhone 5.
Localytics believes that this study could also mean that people aren’t as loyal to brands or operating systems as believed and that people really thought that the Galaxy S III was better than what the iPhone 5 would turn out to be:
“A possible implication of this analysis is that a portion of smartphone users appear less tied to a particular operating system, instead comparing the full package of device, mobile network and available apps before choosing what to buy. This not only creates new opportunities for Android device manufacturers but also new Windows 8 devices.”
Did you buy a Galaxy S III after Apple won the court battle or when the iPhone 5 was announced? Do you think the Galaxy S III is better than the iPhone 5? Let us know in the comments below!