According to research, young tech consumers have sided with Samsung rather than Apple over the infamous patent trial that ruled against the Korean firm, awarding $1 billion in damages to its bitter rival.

A survey on 2,125 consumers between the ages of 18 and 30, none of whom were Apple or Samsung product owners to avoid bias, recorded 55 per cent answering ‘no’, when asked if they thought the court ruling was fair - compared to just 41 per cent who said ‘yes’. The figure is particularly striking since all the participants were based in the US, showing how Apple has even failed to convince many on home soil that its wide-reaching accusations were worthy.

Indeed, of those who disagreed with the verdict, 21 per cent saw it as an example of Apple 'taking over' the world of tech. 71 per cent of this group said the ruling was plain ‘unfair’, while 53 per cent said the verdict ‘hindered’ creativity, in the poll conducted by CouponCodes4u.com.

Demonstrating the American public’s engagement with the case, as well as the relative validity of the findings, 61 per cent said they followed the trial closely. The remaining participants were provided with details of the case.

Nearly a fifth said they had become more brand conscious as a result of the landmark dispute, but the down-trodden Samsung will be encouraged by the fact that 78 per cent insisted the ruling would not put them off buying Samsung products in the future.

Feelings toward a company do not always affect a consumer’s attitude to their products, however, and despite the lack of support Apple received in the survey, 52 per cent said they would still prefer to purchase an Apple product over a Samsung device.

Mark Pearson, Chairman of CouponCodes4u, admitted he was “quite surprised to see most people siding with Samsung; especially as that’s the brand that has been shown to be in the wrong.”

He continued, “What is probably the most interesting part of the survey results is the fact that over half of respondents questioned would not be put off buying Samsung products in future, but they’d be more likely to pick an Apple device. While it is great to be passionate about phones and technology, one must always look at all the sides of the story before making up their minds. It should be up to the consumer to choose which phone and gadget they want to purchase, not large companies.”