Samsung is reaping billions of revenues selling its Galaxy smartphones, bannered mainly by the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 2. What could be the secret formula behind the South Korean firm's incredible run so far?

It was no secret at all, according to The New York Times, because the Asian tech giant is pouring enough money to product research and development efforts to ensure that Samsung gadgets will outpace the competition.

The same report noted that Samsung spends close to six per cent of its revenue to R&D initiatives or roughly $US10 billion, all programmed to fund a worldwide operation that seeks one single goal - to get the pulse of general consumers.

"We get most of our ideas from the market ... The market is a driver, so we don't intend to drive the market in a certain direction," Samsung senior executive Kim Hyun-suk told the NY Times in an interview.

If one wonders what inspired the fluttering sound of water that is unique with the million-selling Galaxy S3, Samsung design chief Donghoon Chang would readily point to the fusion of what man's environment offers and the way they mix seamlessly with the prevailing trend.

The S3, for example, highlights the harmony between rural and urban elements - how the natural complements what man has already built, thanks to technological advances. In short, the Galaxy S3 is both basic and futuristic, Samsung said.

This ingenious representation via the S3 delivered for Samsung more than 40 million unit sales and counting, as of December 2012.

The same goes with the Galaxy Note 2, which Samsung said is within a striking distance or racking up 10 million sales.

First ridiculed by many experts for its large footprint plus a stylus that Steve Jobs once dismissed a gadget tool largely disliked by consumers, Samsung insisted in selling its S-Pen complemented by a screaming screen size.

And it proved a hit that experts even coined the term phablet, which signified that the Galaxy Note series will spawn more exciting and interesting iterations in the years ahead. The Note, in fact, spurred others to follow suit and Apple is widely believed to match this trend started by Samsung through the upcoming 5-inch iPhone 6.

Another plus point for Samsung is flexibility. The titan that it is, the company is a joy to work with, Sprint chief executive Daniel Hesse told The NY Times, describing the device manufacturer as a 'terrific partner'.

"They work with the carriers, they want to hear from you what you want, they don't tell you what it's going to be. It's very two-way," the telecom boss added.

This approach is credited by analysts as what opened many doors for Samsung, giving the company the crucial inroads in markets and audiences, which its chief rival, Apple, has largely ignored in the past.