Google and others warned Samsung about their products being too similar to Apples

[cheezy321]

http://allthingsd.com/20120725/apple-google-warned-samsung-against-copying-us/

In February 2010, Google told Samsung that Samsung’s “P1” and “P3” tablets (Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Tab 10.1) were “too similar” to the iPad and demanded “distinguishable design vis-à-vis the iPad for the P3.”

In 2011, Samsung’s own Product Design Group noted that it is “regrettable” that the Galaxy S “looks similar” to older iPhone models.

As part of a formal, Samsung-sponsored evaluation, famous designers warned Samsung that the Galaxy S “looked like it copied the iPhone too much,” and that “innovation is needed.” The designers explained that the appearance of the Galaxy S “[c]losely resembles the iPhone shape so as to have no distinguishable elements,” and “[a]ll you have to do is cover up the Samsung logo and it’s difficult to find anything different from the iPhone.”

The trial starts next week and its pretty interesting to see Apple unleash its evidence against Samsung. Looks like Samsung was warned multiple times from people inside and outside of the company about the similar look and feel. Guess they didn't take these seriously or just simply didn't agree with their views. Interesting evidence, I am wondering what kind of evidence Samsung is going to bring to the table.

 

[TuxDave]

Ouch...

 

[Bateluer]

Damn rectangles.

I own a Tab 8.9, mentioned that a few times. And you'd have to be blind and semi-retarded to mistake it for any generation iPad.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

How dare Samsung make a rectangular tablet or phone. They should know that only Apple is allowed to make mobile devices.

 

[BladeVenom]

Apple should also sue monitor makers and laptop makers for making their screens rectangular. They are all copying Apple.

 

[QueBert]

I've seen a ton of phones, 2 outside of the Chinese iPhone knock off's I accidentally mistook for one. I'll let you guess which 2 they were. No other phones have ever made me think iPhone.

 

[Bateluer]

Apple should also sue monitor makers and laptop makers for making their screens rectangular. They are all copying Apple.

They should really sue Google over the new Handwriting search too. Thats a lot of swiping around on the screen, a clear violation of Apple's gesture/swipe/touchscreen patent.

 

[BenSkywalker]

Can't tell the difference without the Samsung logo?

 

[QueBert]

Can't tell the difference without the Samsung logo?

Doesn't look exactly, but it's pretty close upon a glance. obviously others feel the same way, According to the story linked in OP, Google & Samsung both would agree with what I just said.

 

[Bateluer]

Can't tell the difference without the Samsung logo?

Yes. Even with the app drawer open.

Next time some one shows that comparison pic with the drawer open, I'm going to reach through the fiber and slap the poster with a hand of pure photonic energy.

 

[BenSkywalker]

According to the story linked in OP, Google & Samsung both would agree with what I just said.

Size is different, form factor is off, screen aspect ratio is different, button layout is different, different thickness, different materials build, but some quote someone supposedly made makes all of that reality disappear.

I posted the image I found that made them look the closest without the aid of photoshop to doctor the image- if you claim you can not clearly and instantly tell the difference between the two you are a liar.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Honestly, if you remember 2009 after the Droid launched then the Nexus 1 came out in early Jan. Those phones NEVER made me think iPhone.

When the SGS phone came out and I saw the TouchWiz design, yeah I definitely thought iPhone. Do you guys even remember TouchWiz on the S60 phones? Oh wait no one even knows S60 phones here -___-. Omnia i8910

That's what it looked like. This is a 2009 flagship phone of Samsung. TouchWiz was VERY different then. Honestly when I saw the SGS I thought they copied the iPhone a bit. Not copy where I thought this is a blatant ripoff, but to me it was "learning" from the iPhone. For those of you who act like there's zero resemblance, you guys are full of denial. If you look at what Android was in its stock form, Sense doesn't even make the icons look iPhone-esque. TouchWiz did though.

I put the Nexus 1's Launcher 2 below (well actually it seems to be a Incredible 1 with some mods). Look how different it looks. TouchWiz is a clear resemblance of the iPhone. There's the dock icons. It's not even the standard 5 dock icons most launchers have now with an App Drawer. If they did that at least it would look more unique. Let's not forget while everyone else did a vertical app launcher, Samsung chose to do a horizontal one... with dot pagination.

I'm not saying Samsung is guilty, this is up to the courts to decide, but at least be honest and say there's some resemblance. No one gives a shit the screens are different aspect ratios. That has nothing to do with copying. Copying doesn't mean someone uses the exact same SoC.

 

[Bateluer]

I'm not saying Samsung is guilty, this is up to the courts to decide, but at least be honest and say there's some resemblance. No one gives a shit the screens are different aspect ratios. That has nothing to do with copying. Copying doesn't mean someone uses the exact same SoC.

The problem is, in Apple's mind, it does. If a device is rectangular, it copied the iPhone. If it is black in color, it copied the iPhone. If it has a touch screen, it copied the iPhone. If it has color pictures arranged on a grid, it copied the iPhone.

TouchWiz has the same cartoony, childish look of the iPhone, definitely. But no one would mistake an SGS model for an iPhone. Image if MS, Apple, Canonical, and Red Hat were all suing each other over the concept of wall paper, desktop shortcuts, menu bars, and system/notification trays.

 

[Phynaz]

Damn rectangles.

I own a Tab 8.9, mentioned that a few times. And you'd have to be blind and semi-retarded to mistake it for any generation iPad.

Is that the one Samsung's own lawyers told a judge they didn't know if it was an iPad or not?

 

[QueBert]

Size is different, form factor is off, screen aspect ratio is different, button layout is different, different thickness, different materials build, but some quote someone supposedly made makes all of that reality disappear.

I posted the image I found that made them look the closest without the aid of photoshop to doctor the image- if you claim you can not clearly and instantly tell the difference between the two you are a liar.

So you're saying you can tell the difference when you see both right next to one another, brilliant. You're a liar if you think the average person would know the difference if they only saw the Samsung. I've never been in a situation in real life where I saw those 2 phones next to one another. Do you really think my mom would 100% not confuse the Samsung if she saw it on a table by itself?

And again Samsung's design team echoed what I just said, as did Google. I doubt they both admitted this for no reason.

 

[ilkhan]

They are two products trying to accomplish the same task in the same market with similar minimalist black designs. They are going to look similar.

That said, the 2 additional buttons gives one away instantly.
That said, the screen size difference gives one away instantly.
That said, the notification bar gives one away instantly. (Until recently anyway. Oops.)

Applying style and polish to an existing product isn't innovation, and iShit didn't invent the market for phones. Consumers were buying Blackberries and WinMo phones before iShit, and if not for a plethora of actual inventions iShit wouldn't have had anything to improve and polish and "patent" as innovation to begin with.

 

[MrX8503]

Look at Samsung's history, they just don't copy Apple. They copy everything from everyone.

 

[KaOTiK]

I demand a triangle tablet!

 

[Oyeve]

Being the appleisthedouche kind of guy, when I got my tmo sgs Phone a couple of years ago I noticed that it did look like an iPhone 3GS and hated it.

 

[the DRIZZLE]

Come on guys. Samsung has clearly gone out of their way copy Apple's designs. Touchwiz is basically an IOS skin on top of Android. You can admit that Samsung has copied Apple while still believing that in general Apple are litigious assholes who abuse the patent system with frivolousness patent filings and lawsuits

 

[Sephire]

Samsung will lose this one.

 

[Deeko]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2061151

Some of the people posting in this thread agreed two years ago...

 

[darkewaffle]

Can't tell the difference without the Samsung logo?

If you can't tell the difference without the logo, you're just being ignorant of the other distinguishing markings. I think the only way Apple would have a legitimate claim is if Samsung duplicated the little "square" on the main button, which is the only visible design decision Apple those to make. Rectangular and pocket sized are not designs, they're the market Apple chose to compete in.

 

[BenSkywalker]

That is a more realistic comparison of what the Galaxy S looks like compared to the iPhone. The picture I posted above was with the app drawer open, a state the phone would rarely be in. If you look at these devices in any realistic sense they just aren't that comparable.

 

[darkewaffle]

Showing the Galaxy "head on" at all times is not exactly fair either, as imo one of the iPhone's distinguishing features is it's 'boxy' edge and metal band, neither of which I believe the Galaxy even remotely resembles.