Android fans accuse Apple of copying Samsung first
Immediately after Apple filed suit against Samsung over patent and trade dress infringements, Android enthusiasts have countered that it was Apple that actually copied Samsung from the beginning.
The claim, distributed virally on message boards in the form of a graphic comparing the 2007 iPhone against the Samsung F700, is titled "LOL @ Apple: suing someone you stole the design from to being [sic] with," and portrays an early Samsung phone with a black front, rounded corners and grid of icons, all elements of the complaint by Apple which claims infringement upon its iPhone design by various Samsung products.
The graphic states the Samsung F700 was first shown at CEBIT in 2006, and was released in February 2007, while noting that the iPhone was first shown at Macworld in January 2007 and didn't go on sale until the end of June 2007.
However, the graphic is in error, as Samsung only mentioned plans for the new phone in 2006. It wasn't actually shown until February 2007 at the 3GSM World Congress, held a month after the iPhone's debut. It did not go on sale at that time.
What Samsung actually did
When Apple unveiled the original iPhone in January 2007, Samsung was actually selling a variety of smartphones that looked more like Nokia devices, with a four direction rocker navigation button, six or more buttons for handing calling features, and in most cases, a traditional set of physical number dialing buttons.
The F700 was rushed out to show after the iPhone's debut, and was regarded as an "answer to the iPhone" by reports of the day, one of which observed that it "looks awfully familiar."
However, the F700 also carried a number of notable features that Apple didn't offer until later, including support for 7.2Mbps HSDPA mobile networks (not available until the iPhone 3GS) and a 5 megapixel camera (unmatched until iPhone 4). If anything, it indicates that Apple faced serious technical hurdles in entering the mobile business in competition with much more experienced mobile manufacturers.
What Apple brought to the mobile business wasn't a copy of existing technology, but breakthroughs in original design aimed at usability, with features such as a truly useful mobile browser, tight integration with iPod and iTunes media sync, and a novel app model.
With its Galaxy line of mobile products, Samsung has copied not just the overall look of the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, but went even further to add a "Touchwiz" layer to Android that makes its devices far more closely resemble Apple's products than other Android licensee have.
After the release of iPad 2, Samsung even publicly admitted needing to redesign its Galaxy Tab to more closely resemble Apple's product.
It was LG, not Samsung, who complained
After the iPhone's debut, it was LG, not Samsung, that complained Apple had copied its design. LG had actually demonstrated its own full-screen smartphone in the fall of 2006, and like the iPhone, it had a largely black, minimalist front. It was first to market with a capacitive touchscreen, the same type subsequently used by the iPhone.
Unlike the iPhone, LG's Prada phone built its user interface using Adobe Flash Lite, with a home screen featuring six round, monochrome icons and a separate menu bar. The phone was intended to sell through Prada stores, at $775.
After Apple unveiled the iPhone, LG's Woo-Young Kwak, who headed its Mobile Handset R&D Center, called a press conference and stated, "we consider that Apple copied the Prada phone after the design was unveiled when it was presented in the iF Design Award and won the prize in September 2006."
The company didn't file a lawsuit however. LG had already shown an affinity for Apple's designs, changing its LG Chocolate phone for the US market to resemble a classic iPod.
Two years later, LG delivered its GM730 phone running Windows Mobile 6.5, with a grid of colored icons above a home row of shortcuts, and rounded corners tipping a hat to the original iPhone. This year, the company is producing an Android-based Optimus X2, which appears closely pattered after last year's iPhone 4.
The claim, distributed virally on message boards in the form of a graphic comparing the 2007 iPhone against the Samsung F700, is titled "LOL @ Apple: suing someone you stole the design from to being [sic] with," and portrays an early Samsung phone with a black front, rounded corners and grid of icons, all elements of the complaint by Apple which claims infringement upon its iPhone design by various Samsung products.
The graphic states the Samsung F700 was first shown at CEBIT in 2006, and was released in February 2007, while noting that the iPhone was first shown at Macworld in January 2007 and didn't go on sale until the end of June 2007.
However, the graphic is in error, as Samsung only mentioned plans for the new phone in 2006. It wasn't actually shown until February 2007 at the 3GSM World Congress, held a month after the iPhone's debut. It did not go on sale at that time.
What Samsung actually did
When Apple unveiled the original iPhone in January 2007, Samsung was actually selling a variety of smartphones that looked more like Nokia devices, with a four direction rocker navigation button, six or more buttons for handing calling features, and in most cases, a traditional set of physical number dialing buttons.
The F700 was rushed out to show after the iPhone's debut, and was regarded as an "answer to the iPhone" by reports of the day, one of which observed that it "looks awfully familiar."
However, the F700 also carried a number of notable features that Apple didn't offer until later, including support for 7.2Mbps HSDPA mobile networks (not available until the iPhone 3GS) and a 5 megapixel camera (unmatched until iPhone 4). If anything, it indicates that Apple faced serious technical hurdles in entering the mobile business in competition with much more experienced mobile manufacturers.
What Apple brought to the mobile business wasn't a copy of existing technology, but breakthroughs in original design aimed at usability, with features such as a truly useful mobile browser, tight integration with iPod and iTunes media sync, and a novel app model.
With its Galaxy line of mobile products, Samsung has copied not just the overall look of the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, but went even further to add a "Touchwiz" layer to Android that makes its devices far more closely resemble Apple's products than other Android licensee have.
After the release of iPad 2, Samsung even publicly admitted needing to redesign its Galaxy Tab to more closely resemble Apple's product.
It was LG, not Samsung, who complained
After the iPhone's debut, it was LG, not Samsung, that complained Apple had copied its design. LG had actually demonstrated its own full-screen smartphone in the fall of 2006, and like the iPhone, it had a largely black, minimalist front. It was first to market with a capacitive touchscreen, the same type subsequently used by the iPhone.
Unlike the iPhone, LG's Prada phone built its user interface using Adobe Flash Lite, with a home screen featuring six round, monochrome icons and a separate menu bar. The phone was intended to sell through Prada stores, at $775.
After Apple unveiled the iPhone, LG's Woo-Young Kwak, who headed its Mobile Handset R&D Center, called a press conference and stated, "we consider that Apple copied the Prada phone after the design was unveiled when it was presented in the iF Design Award and won the prize in September 2006."
The company didn't file a lawsuit however. LG had already shown an affinity for Apple's designs, changing its LG Chocolate phone for the US market to resemble a classic iPod.
Two years later, LG delivered its GM730 phone running Windows Mobile 6.5, with a grid of colored icons above a home row of shortcuts, and rounded corners tipping a hat to the original iPhone. This year, the company is producing an Android-based Optimus X2, which appears closely pattered after last year's iPhone 4.
Comments
Immediately after Apple filed suit against Samsung over patent and trade dress infringements, Android enthusiasts have countered that it was Apple that actually copied Samsung from the beginning.
Funny. I think you spend more time on Android sites than you do apple. I really think deep down inside DED, you love android.
Funny. I think you spend more time on Android sites than you do apple. I really think deep down inside DED, you love android.
He loves the industry and facts, so yes, he reads a lot.
"Suing someone you stole the design from to being with
These history revisionist fanboi's just ooooze brilliance.
It's a shame they've completely glossed over the fact that at the time of the F700's release, Apple had a far more sophisticated UI and a completely working product that was at least two years ahead of their soon-to-be competitors. They chose to debut it in advance of FEC approval, so they could announce it on their own time table. F700 was rushed to market, plain and simple.
I'm pretty sure that if Samsung had stuck with the F700 interface, Apple wouldn't be suing them
The funny thing is, this "article" hasn't run on most mainstream Android blogs, largely keeping to the forums.
So you're starting to write your screeds based on the postings of people on forums now DED?
And you can't honestly believe that they went from the pictures you linked to the f700 in a MONTH. Phone release cycles are a lot longer than that. Yes, Samsung reworked their tablet, but they started with an already existing product (the first version of the 10.1) and tweaked it. That's a far cry from designing an entirely new phone + UI like you're trying to imply with this post.
Is your next "article" going to be about what @avgjoecnsumr tweeted?
EDIT: And no, I'm not arguing that touchwiz doesn't borrow heavily from Samsung, or that Samsung aped the iphone design for some of their products. They did. But Apple also included devices like the EPIC 4g and Gem (running touchwiz but very different looking) and the Nexus S (not running touchwiz, and not very "iphone like" either. The image DED linked is making it's rounds because Apple is claiming look and feel based on the fact that the iphone has rounded corners and a black border around the screen. This image shows that those factors are not unique to the iphone. (you can see something similar on the Prada, which even DED said came first).
The desktop comes to mind. The only reason the phone looks different is the smaller screen size coupled with the optimal touch area limiting the number to about 4 across for the screen size most common on phones designed to be placed in pockets.
Where do we draw the line? Still, very good call on the fandroids being mis-informed.
Steve said at the keynote Apple was already working on the iPhone 3 years before it was introduced.
They more than likely were. Developing a new product and bringing it to market takes time. Which makes DED's claim that Samsung "Copied" Apples design in less than 30 days absurd.
Look at the design:
You want a Touchscreen based interface, so obviously you'll want to limit the number of buttons/put them on a slide out keyboard. Touchscreen interfaces will have to be larger than traditional screens, both because of increased content and because a finger is a lot less accurate than navigating with a wheel.
Touchscreens, particularly capacitive ones, require a border around them for the screen to function.
The Standard Cellphone shape (since it's inception) is that it will be taller than it is wide. Companies try the square phone thing (LG LOTUS) but it has limited appeal. 90%+ of phones are rectangular. A majority of phones are also black.
There really are only so many ways you can design a touch screen phone. Sure, you can add a ton of buttons to it if you want a keyboard on the front, but those are just extra features.
Remember, by this time, the "Razr" craze was in full swing, and thin was in. Companies were looking to cut down on as much bulk as they could, and customers had shown that they were willing to trade functionality to the "cool" factor of having a slim device.
Here is another phone that Samsung ANNOUNCED in 2006:
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_f500-1806.php
Notice, black phone, rounded corners, metal band around the side as an accent. The border along the top and bottom is larger than that of the side.
I'm not implying that Apple copied Samsung. I don't think they did. Again, there is only so many ways you can make a cellphone. Apple DOES have a case with touchwiz (especially the icons). But unlike what DED and others are trying to imply, it's highly unlikely the F700 was going to look like those other phones he linked. Did they tweak it after the iphone announcement? Maybe. But they started off with a design that was more than likely very similar.
Its fairly amazing the revisionist history being undertaken by Google and the Fandroids.
It's amazing and worrying given Google can control history. Try Googling Tiananmen Square when you're in China and see the results you don't get.
Don't be evil my arse.