Ina Fried

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The iPhone Advantage Is Largest in Big Cities, According to Samsung Study

While the iPhone has a pretty strong brand throughout the nation, it has had a particularly strong advantage in a handful of key cities.

An internal Samsung marketing study showed the preference for the Apple brand being especially strong in eight key markets: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Dallas and Washington, D.C. Samsung narrowed the gap somewhat following the launch of the Galaxy line, but still appeared to trail Apple as of March 2011.

Those cities were enough to give Apple an advantage in every region, Samsung notes. That’s according to a marketing metric Samsung refers to as MPSA. (Apparently that stands for most preferred single answer, or the brand you like best.)

In a separate slide in the same May 2011 “deep dive” document, Samsung said that the Galaxy launch allowed Samsung to close the gap in the region that includes California but saw the Korean phone maker lose ground in the New England area.

Yet another slide shows a narrowing gap when it comes to another key metric, purchase intent.

The study was among several documents entered into evidence on Monday as Apple called its final witnesses, including several Samsung executives who testified via video deposition. Among them was Timothy Benner, the U.S.-based Samsung marketing executive who prepared the “deep dive” presentation.

Other documents surfaced, including a study by Samsung’s chipmaking arm arguing that the iPhone created an opportunity for it to sell more processors to companies looking to take on the Apple device, as well as an email from a top Samsung executive suggesting lessons that the company should learn from the success of the iPhone.

Apple is seeking upwards of $2.5 billion in damages from Samsung, alleging that the Korean manufacturer’s phones and tablets infringed on Apple’s patents and “trade dress.” Samsung says it hasn’t violated Apple patents, argues the patents should be declared invalid and has also counter-sued Apple for patent infringement.

Judge Lucy Koh, who is overseeing the San Jose, Calif., trial, declined on Monday to toss Apple’s suit, ruling that the company had introduced enough evidence that a reasonable jury could rule in its favor. Samsung must now mount its defense, an effort that began with the company referencing two earlier products it intends to use to show the iPhone-related patents didn’t represent new technology.


Apple versus Samsung Full Coverage

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