Apple granted ownership of iPhone steel bezel design

24

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 70
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AsianBob View Post


    Did they seriously give a patent out for just bending (pretty much what cold-working is) steel for a electronic device?!



    The patent system is getting ridiculous...



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AsianBob View Post


    I'd really have to see the pictures that go along with this patent. At first read, it seems like that is just the process Apple uses to shape the bezel to the iPhone case itself.



    Which is still essentially bending metal to conform to a shape.



    You've made four posts on this now and you *still* haven't actually read the article very closely (or apparently bothered to go look it up).



    It seems pretty clear to me that the patent is for the design of the bezel itself, how it fits into the device and how it works (the release mechanism part), and the effects this particular design has on durability and ease of repair. Cold-working of metals has indeed been around for many years, so what makes you assume and continue to argue that this is what the patent is about?



    Try actually *reading* the article. Especially the bit that has already been quoted to you. Jumping to conclusions is one thing but insisting on the "jump" you made after three people have already corrected you is a bit lame IMO.
  • Reply 22 of 70
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by fabiopigi View Post


    thanks, I didn't LOL for a long time.

    remember the hairline cracks in the iphone casing?

    http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=2321



    Or what about the screen? scratches pretty fast.



    the Droid i think, for example uses Gorilla Glass, which is quite more sturdy than the iPhones.

    http://gizmodo.com/5443146/gorilla-g...on-unbreakable



    I wouldn't call the iPhone a "well made, sturdy phone".

    well designed? yes definatelly.

    materials that look good on paper? for the 1gen yes (aluminum, glass, chrome).



    but sturdy? not really



    Baloney. You've got enough to make a sandwich.





    If that's not durable, I don't know what is:



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8yNh0N2qbs



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUR70...1&feature=fvwp



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkXlr...eature=related



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-sRb...eature=related
  • Reply 23 of 70
    woodewoode Posts: 67member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by fabiopigi View Post


    thanks, I didn't LOL for a long time.

    remember the hairline cracks in the iphone casing?

    http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=2321



    Or what about the screen? scratches pretty fast.



    the Droid i think, for example uses Gorilla Glass, which is quite more sturdy than the iPhones.

    http://gizmodo.com/5443146/gorilla-g...on-unbreakable



    I wouldn't call the iPhone a "well made, sturdy phone".

    well designed? yes definatelly.

    materials that look good on paper? for the 1gen yes (aluminum, glass, chrome).



    but sturdy? not really



    Yes really! I dropped my 3G on seriously grubby asphalt yesterday. Landed glass-side-down (like buttered toast). Got some scratches on the plastic on the back (yep, it bounced and flipped), but nothing on the glass. Nada. Zip. Zilch. As in "still pristine." So your statement that the screen scratches pretty fast has not been borne out by my experience.
  • Reply 24 of 70
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Woode View Post


    Yes really! I dropped my 3G on seriously grubby asphalt yesterday. Landed glass-side-down (like buttered toast). Got some scratches on the plastic on the back (yep, it bounced and flipped), but nothing on the glass. Nada. Zip. Zilch. As in "still pristine." So your statement that the screen scratches pretty fast has not been borne out by my experience.



    Apple device screens are among the most durable and scratch-resistant you'll ever find.
  • Reply 25 of 70
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anonymous guy View Post


    That's not just any paper clip. It was a paper clip designed in California and made in China. Using anything else devalues the iDevice.



    I don't know. Shouldn't an iDevice paper clip at least be a certain color?
  • Reply 26 of 70
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    Apple device screens are among the most durable and scratch-resistant you'll ever find.



    Because Steve Jobs told you so?
  • Reply 27 of 70
    rhyderhyde Posts: 294member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AsianBob View Post


    Did they seriously give a patent out for just bending (pretty much what cold-working is) steel for a electronic device?!



    The patent system is getting ridiculous...



    Yes, it's called a design patent. It's very specific. And it's very easy to work around. Basically, it prevents complete knock-offs and that's about it.
  • Reply 28 of 70
    asianbobasianbob Posts: 797member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    You've made four posts on this now and you *still* haven't actually read the article very closely (or apparently bothered to go look it up).



    It seems pretty clear to me that the patent is for the design of the bezel itself, how it fits into the device and how it works (the release mechanism part), and the effects this particular design has on durability and ease of repair. Cold-working of metals has indeed been around for many years, so what makes you assume and continue to argue that this is what the patent is about?



    Try actually *reading* the article. Especially the bit that has already been quoted to you. Jumping to conclusions is one thing but insisting on the "jump" you made after three people have already corrected you is a bit lame IMO.



    I have read the article and I did try to look up the patent number.



    As far as I can tell, this is the iPhone's bezel (unless the article is pointing to the yet-to-be-released iPhone):



    http://www.traderscity.com/board/use...nt-bezel-1.jpg



    What I was initially surprised at was just the article saying it was for the bending of steel. However, there is a "bulge" at the top of the bezel. If it is indeed where the magnetic/spring clamp incorporated somewhere in there, then I'll let it go.
  • Reply 29 of 70
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rhyde View Post


    Yes, it's called a design patent. It's very specific. And it's very easy to work around. Basically, it prevents complete knock-offs and that's about it.



    I don't know I have this entire jar on my desk with the special iPhone tool. How the hell did that happen???
  • Reply 30 of 70
    rhyderhyde Posts: 294member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    Apple device screens are among the most durable and scratch-resistant you'll ever find.



    OTOH, I dropped my 3GS about a month ago and now I have a nice crack in the display. Fortunately, it's off on one side and small -- it doesn't seem to affect the operation of the device -- but I went and bought an Otterbox case the next day.



    The devices are *not* impervious to abuse. They *can* scratch and they *can* break. Some people have been lucky, and their iPhones have survived some horrible abuse. Others, not so much. Just because *you've* dropped a phone and it survived doesn't mean all phones will do this.



    I hate having a plastic sheet over my iPhone screen. I hate having the plastic and rubber case around the phone. But I like having a phone that lasts at least two years (something that didn't happen with my first-gen iPhone, I went through two of them and then struggled with a broken iPhone for 5 months until the 3GS came out).



    Hopefully, my current phone will make it another year so I can upgrade to next year's model and skip the one coming out this year. If the Otterbox achieves that, it will have been $50 well spent.
  • Reply 31 of 70
    rhyderhyde Posts: 294member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by extremeskater View Post


    I don't know I have this entire jar on my desk with the special iPhone tool. How the hell did that happen???



    Obviously, you don't know what you're talking about. Sorry to feed the troll.
  • Reply 32 of 70
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AsianBob View Post


    I have read the article and I did try to look up the patent number.



    As far as I can tell, this is the iPhone's bezel (unless the article is pointing to the yet-to-be-released iPhone):



    http://www.traderscity.com/board/use...nt-bezel-1.jpg



    What I was initially surprised at was just the article saying it was for the bending of steel. However, there is a "bulge" at the top of the bezel. If it is indeed where the magnetic/spring clamp incorporated somewhere in there, then I'll let it go.



    http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2008/0165485.html



    http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20080165485.pdf
  • Reply 33 of 70
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rhyde View Post


    Obviously, you don't know what you're talking about. Sorry to feed the troll.



    Really? You might want to take a look at the link I provided above.



    In fact let me give it again.





    http://gizmodo.com/photogallery/offi...netool/2302570





    http://gizmodo.com/photogallery/offi...etool/2302578/





    Sorry to feed the koolaid drinker.
  • Reply 34 of 70
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AsianBob View Post


    Did they seriously give a patent out for just bending (pretty much what cold-working is) steel for a electronic device?!



    The patent system is getting ridiculous...



    Cold working is any number of processes used on a piece of metal after casting ie: cutting and grinding, and uses a lubricant to not only flush away waste material but provide cooling to maintain the temper. Bending probably isn't used as it would reduce the strength at the bend. It seems that when people use phrases like "pretty much" they either don't know much about the process at hand or are over simplifying. Go to a steel yard and look at their round stock. The difference between cold rolled and hot rolled steel is distinct. Hot rolled is less percise and cheaper, cold rolled the opposite of those.

    Slightly off topic- I'm hoping this will stem the tide of people calling the dark margin around the screen a bezel (an epidemic concerning the ipad). It is driving me crazy reading so many people making this mistake. Think of a classic 50's car headlight. The bezel is the chrome piece surrounding the headlight and making a smoothe transition to the body. Everyone and their brother started using the word bezel incorrectly, I'd nearly given up hope
  • Reply 35 of 70
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Woode View Post


    Spankage in 3... 2... 1...







    http://www.mobileguerilla.com/articl...pad-design.php



    oh man that's hilarious...the funniest part is the 1-hour battery....which of course helps because of any windows OS....wohooo!



    I can has giant iphone ipad clone that runs long enough to boot up!



    See all those ipad haters could just get their windows XP Ipad knockoff...I am sure its everything their tech wet dreams will want...except run well, multitouch interface, battery life, lightweight, and look like a decent ipad clone....
  • Reply 36 of 70
    rob55rob55 Posts: 1,291member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by extremeskater View Post


    Really? You might want to take a look at the link I provided above.



    In fact let me give it again.





    http://gizmodo.com/photogallery/offi...netool/2302570





    http://gizmodo.com/photogallery/offi...etool/2302578/





    Sorry to feed the koolaid drinker.



    Ok, so it's a tool to extract a SIM card. You're making it sound like it's a swiss army knife for iPhones.
  • Reply 37 of 70
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by extremeskater View Post


    I don't know I have this entire jar on my desk with the special iPhone tool. How the hell did that happen???



    That has nothing to do with this design patent, no kind of patent has been granted for that tool that I'm aware of. So then, what is your point? It seems like you're trying to force a thread off topic.
  • Reply 38 of 70
    asianbobasianbob Posts: 797member


    Now this is better information. I wasn't able to get the pictures. Now that I've seen them, I stand corrected.





    I thought it was just for the metal strip that goes around the iPhone, when it's really for the case as a whole. Simple misunderstanding on my part.



    What you did is also "a bit lame, IMO".
  • Reply 39 of 70
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by extremeskater View Post


    Sorry to feed the koolaid drinker.



    You rang?

    Are you both an iPhone abuser and a non-believing troll? iPhones do not crack, Steve has even banned film protectors from the store to proove that very point. Apple products are among the most durable products you can buy.
  • Reply 40 of 70
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    I remember Apple used this story few years ago to illustrate how durable the original iPhone was.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    That has nothing to do with this design patent, no kind of patent has been granted for that tool that I'm aware of. So then, what is your point? It seems like you're trying to force a thread off topic.



    And he succeeded.
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