Samsung sales boss saw Jobs death as "best opportunity to attack iPhone"

Documents unearthed as part of a US legal battle between Apple and Samsung have revealed the distasteful truth underpinning some corporate strategy.

Cnet reports that Samsung America’s former head of national sales Michael Pennington saw the death of Apple boss Steve Jobs in 2011 as an opportunity for the company to further its own smartphone aspirations.

"Unfortunately, Steve Jobs’ passing has led to a huge wave of press coverage of Apple’s and iPhone’s ‘superiority,’ all created by the ‘passionate, tireless, perfectionist…’” he wrote.

The point here is that there is an unintended benefit for Apple, since the external messages by third parties are all highlighting and/or supporting the consumer perception that Apple products are superior, since Jobs’ was such a visionary and perfectionist. What consumer wouldn’t feel great about purchasing a device developed by such a person.

"Sorry to continue to push this issue, but I have seen this far too long and I know this is our best opportunity to attack iPhone. If there is no consensus on the approach I initially proposed, I will stop pushing, but I would like to better understand our strategy so I can align with that."

Pennington left Samsung earlier this year.