Samsung and their phones fill an important role in cell phone sales for both the telcos and the salespeople at their retail stores. If a non-technical buyer wa

Samsung and their phones fill an important role in cell phone sales for both the telcos and the salespeople at their retail stores. If a non-technical buyer walks into a Verizon store and wants to buy an iPhone, but for whatever reason (sales kick-back, slow inventory, late deliveries) the store or the telco don't want to or can't sell them an iPhone, they want an almost-iPhone to give them. Nevermind that the technology in all of these phones is copied and borrowed left and right (like the iOS 5 notification system). Samsung's design and marketing is a gauche copy of Apple's because it needs to be to ride on Apple's brand recognition.