Samsung: Apple Lawsuits Is Helping Us Sell More Galaxy Tablets

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Photo by clasesdeperiodismo - http://flic.kr/p/avSBos
Photo by clasesdeperiodismo - http://flic.kr/p/avSBos

You would think Apple, which hails from the land of movies and make-believe, would understand the old Hollywood maxim that all publicity is good publicity. If not, courtroom sidekick Samsung can certainly teach a refresher course. Turns out, all the legal battles trying to stop Galaxy tablets instead have been good PR for the South Korean company — at least in Australia.


In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Samsung’s Vice-President of Telecommunications in Australia Tyler McGee, thanked Apple for promoting the Galaxy Tab 10.1 brand. “At the end of the day the media awareness certainly made the Galaxy Tab 10.1 a household name compared to probably what it would’ve been based on the investment that we would’ve put into it from a marketing perspective.”

Although pre-orders for the tablet have just begun, McGee said Samsung might not be able supply the demand quickly enough. Australia’s Federal Court recently overturned a preliminary injunction against Galaxy 10.1 sales in that nation and refused to hear Apple’s appeal. The tablet was originally set to go on sale this past summer, but a voluntary sales delay by Samsung and a protracted court case by Apple kept the Galaxy Tab 10.1 off the shelves but for months squarely in the public spotlight.

However, it is unknown how much Apple’s court actions were the cause of Samsung’s sales increase or simply the continuation of already strong appeal with Australian consumers. Samsung is already the number one mobile phone and smartphone brand in the country.

Additionally, we’ve heard Samsung’s marketing boasts before. Just days ago, the company announced it shipped 300 million phones through November — six times that of Apple. However, the claim faltered upon looking at the details, including Apple’s overwhelming lead in profits. The same could be true here, according to analysts pointing out increased attention does not translate directly to higher shipments or sales. Still, all publicity is good publicity.

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