Samsung is recommended more often by British retailers than Apple, with BlackBerry and LG having almost no presence, according to new research by Informa Telecoms and Media -- as reported by "The Telegraph" (http://tinyurl.com/aze7jmh).

The article says the researchers visited John Lewis, Everything Everywhere, O2, 3, Maplins, PC World, Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U. The mystery shoppers scored manufacturers based on whether they were advertised in the store window or in-store, then asked a sales assistant to recommend three smartphones or tablets. While some retailers recommended Apple's iPhone 5, rival manufacturers such as ZTE, Motorola, LG, Huawei and BlackBerry-maker RIM had little or no presence.

"he mystery shop showed that the most recommended Samsung handsets were the Galaxy SIII and the Galaxy Note II, despite having been on the market longer than the latest handsets from Apple, Nokia and HTC," says Julian Jest of Informa.