While Samsung and Apple may be locked in over 10 patent disputes around the globe, the former has expressed its admiration for its rival's ecosystem.
During an interview with MIT Technology Review, Samsung's Chief Strategy Officer Young Sohn discussed how services such as Apple's iCloud inspires the South Korean technology giant to offer an equally impressive service to its users.
He even went as far to admit he utilizes Apple devices outside the office. Sohn stresses that a critical point within Samsung's future is dependent on creating an open ecosystem such as iCloud should the company continue its success.
Samsung, which utilizes Android for the majority of its mobile devices, recently finished work on two new research and development facilities in Silicon Valley, with Sohn explaining what he hopes for the new branches to achieve.
"We make really great devices. But actually if you think of our future, it's in answering the question of how we put it all together and how we manage the data that's coming out of these devices and encourage the innovation ecosystem for our platforms."
He added that Samsung would be looking into growth areas constituting of cloud and mobile ecosystem technologies. "If you look at the strengths of Apple, in a way it's not the product per se. It's that consumers like their ecosystem such as iCloud."
"[The Samsung Galaxy Nexus] is a better phone, in my view. It's a better display. It's faster. But eventually the connected ecosystem is really critical. [If] you think about our experiences, it's device-centric. It's experienced by itself. It's not experienced in a connected way. So we think we can provide a lot more things than what we are doing today with an open ecosystem with our partners."
Samsung, who is expected to debut a "complete new look" during CES in January that is said to compete with Apple's "vibrant" international brand image, recently teased an unveiling for the event by telling consumers to "get ready" as "the world is waiting".