The last couple of years have seen Samsung enjoying enormous success in the smartphone industry thanks to their Galaxy range of phones. A large part of this has been the highly popular Galaxy S and Galaxy S2 phones that have become the two bestselling Android phones of all time. But Samsung also saw record sales figures for its more petite and affordable Galaxy Ace handset that was launched in 2011.

But this success has not come without costs. Noticing their growth in the mobile phone market, one of Samsung’s largest customers decided something needed to be done. The last year has seen Apple accusing Samsung of copying its design ideas in a number of its Galaxy products, specifically the Galaxy S, Galaxy S2, Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Ace.

With the launch of the new Galaxy Ace Plus then it is probably no surprise that this accusation is making an appearance once again, but there is a peculiar twist to this story. The first Galaxy Ace was accused of copying the iPhone 4, but this newer Galaxy Ace Plus is accused of copying the much older iPhone 3G, launched back in 2008.

For a phone that is a follow up to a device Apple considers was based on their ideas it is no surprise that they have the same attitude here. The Galaxy Ace Plus does bear a lot more resemblance to the iPhone 3G than it does the original Galaxy Ace, although this is not damning evidence. It has most likely adopted most of its design from the original Galaxy S, a phone that was itself accused of copying the first iPhone design.

While everyone has been busy comparing the Galaxy Ace Plus to the first generation iPhones many people have been overlooking how it stacks up against the original Ace. On close inspection it does not appear to offer a great deal more, which may be why it has been named the “Plus” rather than the Galaxy Ace 2.

The phone sees a slightly larger screen and increased data storage (3GB), but features such as the 3G, Wi-Fi and camera remain largely unchanged. The phone does get an upgrade to Android Gingerbread though, and this is one of the many things making it superior to the iPhone 3G it is accused of copying.

So is it worth upgrading to the Galaxy Ace Plus? If you own the original Ace, then maybe not but if you are looking at the latest budget mobile phone contracts then the Ace Plus could be a great little phone to ease you into the world of touchscreens. The fact that Samsung has produced this Plus model suggests that they may have plans for a Galaxy Ace 2 later this year, and this is probably the phone to keep an eye out for if you own the original.