In June Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple's Refurbished iPhone Program Rolled into Korea this week …" The report noted that South Korea's "CJ HelloVision had gone with this trend and made a good performance in April by selling refurbished iPhone 5s. It also had sold refurbished iPhone 6S Plus at the end of last month and its supplies were sold out within just 2 weeks. This was meaningful that it sold all of its supplies through online without any advertisements even though there weren't much supplies to begin with. So does it come as any surprise that Samsung is now planning to copy Apple's new recycling trend?

For many, the iPhone is still the most coveted premium smartphone for it's perfect blend of style and advanced software. Many would prefer to own a slightly older iPhone than a mid level Samsung smartphone – just like some would prefer to own an older Mercedes than a new Ford. Hot brands hold value.

And though Samsung is number two in high-end smartphone sales, the Korean copycat or "fast follower" as they prefer to be referred as, Reuter reports today that Samsung could have a similar smartphone recycling offering by sometime next year

The Reuters report states that "The South Korean technology firm is looking for ways to sustain earnings momentum after reviving its mobile profits by restructuring its product line-up. As growth in the global smartphone market hits a plateau, Samsung wants to maximize its cost efficiency and keep operating margins above 10 percent.

The world's top smartphone maker will refurbish high-end phones returned to the company by users who signed up for one-year upgrade programs in markets such as South Korea and the United States.

Rival Apple Inc's iPhone has a re-sale value of around 69 percent of its original price after about one year from launch, while Samsung's flagship Galaxy sells for 51 percent of the original price in the U.S. market, according to BNP Paribas.

Because Apple has a limited numbers of iPhone models, their refurbished line-up acts as a valid mid-tier offering. On the flip-side, Reuters notes that the risk for Samsung in "offering refurbished devices is that they could potentially cannibalize sales of other mid-tier devices." In other words, it's kind of lamebrain idea for Samsung to think that what works for Apple will always work for Samsung, especially when Samsung has multiple new mid-tier phones on the market already.

While there's a definite market for a slightly older Mercedes just as there is for a refurbished iPhone, the jury is out as to whether Samsung will be able to successfully pull off a similar refurbished smartphone program in the future. For more on this story, read the full Reuters report.

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