Samsung has become a brand that is preferred and trusted by consumers despite the legal setbacks that the tech giant has been getting lately.

According to market research firm YouGov, the South Korean consumer electronic firm appears to enjoy significant grip on U.S. consumers even in the immediate aftermath of its legal patent contest with Apple.

From the 5000 survey participants polled by YouGov researchers, Samsung snared fairly good marks both from respondents that were grouped into two age brackets, The Korea Times reported on Tuesday.

From those aged 18 to 34, the Asian brand name collected an average score of 46 while Apple lagged too far at 24.

Competition, however, in the second group, which is composed of adult consumers that pollsters informally labelled as 'early technology adopters', is much tighter, with Samsung's Galaxy product lines garnering approval score of 34.

Apple's popular products, mainly the iPad and the iPhone, were behind only by a hairline at 33.

The highest possible score that consumers can give to both brands is 100, connoting positive outlook for either tech firms, The Korea Times reported.

The YouGov survey result was finalised Sept 6 or barely two weeks after a U.S. jury in California has determined that a number of features and functions that Samsung had deployed with its Galaxy smartphones and tablets were copied from Apple devices.

The same jury ordered Samsung to pay Apple $US1.04 billion in damages, which the former said it will appeal.

Its defeat before a U.S. court would have spelled disaster for Samsung but the survey indicated otherwise, YouGov researchers said.

The Samsung brand displayed resiliency during the tough moments and without trying too much to prop up its image, which obviously Apple had hoped to bruise beyond recovery, analysts said.

This was partly due to the heavy media coverage that was trained to the epic legal battle, which has yet to be concluded, they added.

One South Korean consumer, according to The Korea Times, was dismayed over what were divulged about the supposedly 'cool' company that was co-founded by the late tech icon Steve Jobs.

"The court battle just took away all the positive impressions that I had of Apple. I mean, the hypocrisy that was revealed was just staggering. I guess they are a business after all," the consumer was quoted by the Korean publication as saying on Tuesday.

Even Steve Wozniak, who conspired with Mr Jobs in setting up Apple in the late 1970s, has expressed his distaste last week for the patent wars that the tech giant has been waging.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Mr Wozniak said he is convinced the ruling against Samsung will not be sustained in other courts. He added that he hated witnessing the legal spars, which for him would only curb future tech innovations.

The latest survey also proved that Samsung will likely weather its ongoing legal struggles, one industry executive in South Korea told The Korea Times.

In fact, with the way developments have been unfolding, Samsung's "worst case scenario ... turned out to be blessing in disguise," the Seoul official added.