It appears Samsung's Galaxy S3 is well on its way to record sales figures before 2012 ends, based on a new report recently issued by global marketing and research firm Localytics.

The bestselling Samsung smartphone, arguably the most solid contender to Apple's freshly rolled out iPhone 5, has been the subject of consistent consumer attention, Localytics said, that since August this year the handset has been flying off the shelves in impressive fashion and numbers.

At least nine per cent weekly sales jump can be attributed to the shiny and sleek Samsung gadget, said Localytics, which according to PC Magazine is a firm mainly engaged in "app analytics and marketing products to iOS and Android app developers."

The firm's report also suggested that Samsung's legal skirmishes with tech giant Apple were actually pushing up further consumer's consciousness of the Galaxy S3, which actually is a target by the U.S. company for sales prohibition on arguments that the phone and many more Samsung devices were copied slavishly from the iPhone and the iPad.

"The deluge of post-litigation press coverage both drove general attention to Samsung and suggested that Samsung devices were similar enough to iPhones to be an option for many consumers," PC Magazine quoted Localytics as saying on its report.

As a direct result, the S3 gained sales boost during the entire period that the Apple-Samsung legal dispute became the constant fodder of international media coverage.

And even when court developments were gravitating in favour of Apple, like when a U.S. jury has determined that Samsung had violated Apple's intellectual property, global sales of the flagship Samsung mobile phone surged by up to 16 per cent, which Localytics said occurred in the week spanning from Aug 21 to 27.

Another sales spike of 15 per cent was recorded in the week that started Sept 15, with the report noting that only three days before an iPhone refresh was unveiled by Apple.

The climb, according to analysts, suggested that Apple's iPhone 5 failed to temper the rising S3 sales numbers, which Samsung said reached 20 million units after only 100 days in the market.

The data also pointed to careful weighing observed by consumers, Localytics said, prior to making their final decision on what gadget to buy or the platform that they are willing to subscribe to.

And since the Apple tsunami that was generated by the iPhone 5 launch, which so far has picked up five million buys along its path, clearly failed to obliterate the robust Samsung challenge, it remains an open and healthy smartphone competition, Localytics said.

"A portion of smartphone users appear less tied to a particular operating system, instead comparing the full package of device, mobile network and available apps before choosing what to buy," the research firm was quoted by PC Magazine as saying on Wednesday.

Obviously, the Localytics data inspired Samsung to declare in early September that the S3 is likely to accumulate total sales of 30 million units by yearend, paving the way, CNET said in a report, for the gadget to equal or even surpass the over 50 millions sales achieved by the Galaxy S2.

Seemingly to maintain the momentum and to reverse what market watchers said as the eventual tapering down of Samsung's rising sales, the company is said to be planning a release of a smaller S3, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.

The additional Samsung gadget, the U.S. publication added, will likely be released alongside with the Galaxy Note 2, which was unveiled earlier this year and is meant to replace another hit product of the South Korean firm, the original Galaxy Note.

The device, a combination of a smartphone and tablet, already shifted more than 10 million units and counting, Samsung said.