Samsung has become the people’s choice with its Galaxy S III and Note II, a study by American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) stated.

The study provides that, in 2013 up until May, customer satisfaction standards for 10 of the past year’s top-selling Smartphone models in the United States.

Samsung’s flagship model for 2012, the S III, received an ACSI standard of 84 (on a 0 to 100 scale), beating Apple’s iPhone 5 at 82, the company’s most recent Smartphone offering. Another Samsung model, Note II, shares the top of list at 84. However, Samsung’s Galaxy S4 is not included because the ACSI study was fielded just prior to its launch.

U.S customers prefer Samsung’s Smartphone while Korean consumers prefer Apple, says National Customer Satisfaction Index (NCSI) in South Korea, which uses the same technology as the ACSI.

ACSI data suggest that Smartphone users are much more satisfied than are feature phone users as the Smartphone earn a customer satisfaction score of 76 compared to 69 for feature phones.

The iPhone 4S matches its successor, iPhone 5, with an ACSI score of 82. Apple’s iPhone 4 is just a point below at 81. On the other hand, at a score of 78, customer fulfillment with the Galaxy S II, predecessor to the S III, is lower. Motorola Mobility’s Droid Razr Maxx HD comes in at 80, while the Droid Razr scores 77. The low end belongs to Blackberry’s Curve and Bold Smartphone scoring 67 and 64, respectively.

“Not only does Samsung edge ahead of all iPhones, Apple customers themselves don’t see much difference between the iPhone 4, 4S or 5,” says ACSI Director David VanAmburg.

“The latest earnings report from Apple was better than expected, but the name of the game for Apple has always been innovation. Samsung, on the other hand, shows a strong upward ACSI trend from the Galaxy S II to the Galaxy S III. If the S4 performs as well — or even better — in the eyes of customers, Samsung could threaten Apple’s dominance in overall customer satisfaction.” He continued.

The Smartphone brand study matches and expands the ACSI’s coverage of the cell phone industry, measuring customer satisfaction with each company’s complete array of product offerings Smartphone and feature phones.

Unlike Apple, which has a Smartphone-only lineup, Samsung offers both feature and Smartphones. At 76, Samsung continues to lag Apple for overall customer satisfaction. Nevertheless, the company’s 7% gain in 2013 is a clear reflection of the strength of Galaxy S III.