UK retailers more likely to recommend Galaxy S3 than iPhone 5, survey says

If you’re neither an Apple fanboy nor an Android aficionado, then a trip to a British retailer in search of a new handset is more likely to see you walk out with Samsung’s Galaxy S3 device than Apple’s iPhone 5 – if you heed the advice of staff, that is.

A mystery shopper survey carried out at eight of the country’s leading retail stores over Christmas by research and training firm Informa Telecoms & Media found that among all brands, store clerks recommended a Samsung device more than any other.

While a company like Samsung produces a slew of different handsets with differing features and at various price points, the store clerks reportedly recommended the Samsung’s high-end Galaxy S3 device most often. Informa suggested pushing the pricier S3 phone over cheaper Samsung offerings may have been down to the promise of a bigger commission for an S3 sale.

Other phone makers such as LG, Motorola and RIM were hardly mentioned, either by store staff or by way of in-store posters and promotions, the survey found.

Commenting on the findings, Informa research analyst Julian Jest said, “The mystery shop showed that the most recommended Samsung handsets were the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 2, despite having been on the market longer than the latest handsets from Apple, Nokia and HTC.

“However, most surprising was the way that, despite an in-store advertising campaign and recent product launch, Apple was recommended in only two stores, 3 and Phones 4 U, with both recommending the iPhone 5.”

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Admittedly, the survey sample was small, but despite this it may still come as a surprise to some that Apple was lavished with such little praise by handset sellers. The stores in the mystery shopper survey included John Lewis, Everything Everywhere (EE), O2, 3, Carphone Warehouse, Phones 4 U, Maplins and PC World.

Samsung has sold in excess of 40 million Galaxy S3 handsets since its launch in May 2012, resulting in the release of some pretty impressive financial figures last week, while recent data released by Apple showed the Cupertino company sold almost 50 million iPhones in the three months ending December 2012.

While Apple and Samsung try their damndest to win the hearts and minds of consumers, the two companies continue to fight it out in courtroom spats around the world as patent disputes between the two tech giants rumble on.

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