Why would anyone care that someone else has purchased a cheap knock off of something he owned?

Unless, of course, the only reason to own it is status.

But I'd hesitate to equate a Samsung smart phone with a knock off Louis Vitton handbag, for example.

I don't really understand the undying adoration of Apple. The tech industry has always been a fast moving, ultra-competitive industry where blatant ripping off of features is expected. If my competitor has a new feature that people like, you can bet the farm that everyone else will implement that same thing and try to leap frog the others in the process.