Samsung says it will immediately appeal a U.S. court verdict awarding Apple a massive victory over it on Friday, Aug. 24, AFP reported.

A jury in San Jose, California has awarded $US1.049 billion ($A1.01 billion) to the U.S. tech giant, according to court documents. But analysts say the damages could be tripled because jurors found Samsung "wilfully" infringed on patents.

The jury rejected the South Korean electronics firm's counterclaims its iconic iPhone and iPad were illegally copied.

Samsung reacted by saying it will contest the U.S. verdict.

"We will move immediately to file post-verdict motions to overturn this decision and if we are not successful, we will appeal this decision to the Court of Appeals," the company said in a statement issued in Seoul.

The decision appeared to be an overwhelming victory for Apple but it wasn't immediately clear whether it would halt sales of Samsung devices or affect newer models released since the case was filed.