Retailers in the UK recommend Samsung Galaxy smartphones over Apple’s iPhone, according to research from Informa Telecoms & Media.
The survey was conducted over the Christmas period across eight UK retail stores which include John Lewis, Everything Everywhere (EE), O2, Three, Carphone Warehouse, Phones 4 U, Maplins and PC World.
Apple was the second most promoted brand in the survey while smartphone makers like ZTE, Huawei, Motorola, LG and RIM had little or no presence.
Informa Telecoms & Media research analyst Julian Jest said: "The mystery shop showed that the most recommended Samsung handsets were the Galaxy SIII and the Galaxy Note II, 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," Jest said.
Informa said the Samsung Galaxy devices were selected as a safe bet to earn greater commission.
The survey in the UK also echoes a similar survey conducted across five sales outlets in the Silicon Valley, California area in the US during last summer which revealed that the best-represented brands, in terms of prominent displays, were Samsung and HTC.