Court: Apple studies show Samsung won't lure iPhone users
updated 05:15 pm EST, Mon December 5, 2011
Slipped docs say Samsung hurts only Android rivals
Freshly uncovered portions of the redacted court documents from Apple's lawsuit against Samsung have revealed documents that favored Apple even as some potentially hurt its case for a temporary ban. Apple was found by Reuters to have commissioned a study that shows iPhone users are unlikely to switch to Samsung's phones. The Korean company's devices were more likely to cannibalize Android itself as customers left from HTC or another designer.
Countering arguments from Samsung didn't favor Samsung. The Galaxy S II designer had tried to argue that Apple couldn't fulfill the demand for smartphones and Samsung was needed to step in. Judge Lucy Koh responded that the claim was "dubious" and pointed to long-term estimates from Apple that showed iPhone demand would scale.
The documents had already revealed that Apple had offered Samsung a license to an iOS scrolling patent it had licensed out to IBM and Nokia, only to be turned down for unknown reasons.
For Samsung, the court's verdict ironically contradicted its own iPhone-teasing Galaxy S II ad and supported theories about its inward focus. While ostensibly meant to steer people away from the iPhone, the ad instead was more likely to cater to existing Android fans who were never going to be open to buying an iPhone.
External studies support Apple's argument. Few iPhone users would consider switching, while as much as 40 percent of Android owners would go the same route.
