Samsung's tablets returned after buyers realized they weren't iPads
New documents made public in the legal feud between Apple and Samsung indicate among other things that retailer Best Buy had told Samsung it was processing Galaxy Tab returns from unhappy customers who thought they were getting an iPad.
The emails, internal memos and other evidence documents being exposed in the lawsuit underway in the U.S. District Court in San Jose, California is currently undergoing arguments about admissibility, with Samsung's email evidence destruction recently being admitted.
The two companies have also filed briefs where Apple brought up comments "famous designers" made to Samsung warning that its Galaxy S "looked like it copied the iPhone too much," and resembled the iPhone design "so as to have no distinguishable elements,? to the point where "all you have to do is cover up the Samsung logo and it?s difficult to find anything different from the iPhone."
Apple also cited admonitions from Google that Samsung's preproduction designs for Galaxy Tab models were "too similar" to Apple's existing products, and insisted that its Android licensee come up with a "distinguishable design vis-?-vis the iPad" for its future tablet models.
A new comment Apple hopes to gain traction with in its case, unearthed to the public by Wall Street Journal "All things Digital" blogger Ina Fried, notes that Samsung was told by Best Buy that its tablet products were being returned by customers who had thought they were getting an iPad.
It is not yet public knowledge how many of the millions of Galaxy Tab devices Samsung promoted as having "shipped" were actually sold to buyers, and how many of those were subsequently returned when those buyers realized the difference between what they had purchased and what they sold as being identical in form and features to the heavily advertised iPad.
There were apparently enough returns based on customer confusion for Best Buy to bring it to Samsung's attention, although those returns were never factored into the widely reported "tablet market share" figures that appeared intended to minimize the specific demand customers were expressing for the original iPad.
Apple's brief also focused on the overall design of Samsung's products before the iPhone was announced at the beginning of 2007, compared to the designs that began earning it market share and revenue afterward.
A notable example is the Samsung BlackJack, a popular Windows Phone device prior to 2007 that resembled RIM's Blackberry devices in name, design and features. The model was singled out for promotion at the time by Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer as a cheaper device with greater potential than the then-new iPhone.
Apple illustration of Samsung phones pre- and post-iPhone. | Source: Apple trial brief
Samsung has responded by arguing that it had phones and prototypes with a prominent display prior to the iPhone, and dismissed Apple's iPhone design as having nothing more an a series of features that were in "widespread use" prior to its launch.
The emails, internal memos and other evidence documents being exposed in the lawsuit underway in the U.S. District Court in San Jose, California is currently undergoing arguments about admissibility, with Samsung's email evidence destruction recently being admitted.
The two companies have also filed briefs where Apple brought up comments "famous designers" made to Samsung warning that its Galaxy S "looked like it copied the iPhone too much," and resembled the iPhone design "so as to have no distinguishable elements,? to the point where "all you have to do is cover up the Samsung logo and it?s difficult to find anything different from the iPhone."
Apple also cited admonitions from Google that Samsung's preproduction designs for Galaxy Tab models were "too similar" to Apple's existing products, and insisted that its Android licensee come up with a "distinguishable design vis-?-vis the iPad" for its future tablet models.
A new comment Apple hopes to gain traction with in its case, unearthed to the public by Wall Street Journal "All things Digital" blogger Ina Fried, notes that Samsung was told by Best Buy that its tablet products were being returned by customers who had thought they were getting an iPad.
It is not yet public knowledge how many of the millions of Galaxy Tab devices Samsung promoted as having "shipped" were actually sold to buyers, and how many of those were subsequently returned when those buyers realized the difference between what they had purchased and what they sold as being identical in form and features to the heavily advertised iPad.
There were apparently enough returns based on customer confusion for Best Buy to bring it to Samsung's attention, although those returns were never factored into the widely reported "tablet market share" figures that appeared intended to minimize the specific demand customers were expressing for the original iPad.
Apple's brief also focused on the overall design of Samsung's products before the iPhone was announced at the beginning of 2007, compared to the designs that began earning it market share and revenue afterward.
A notable example is the Samsung BlackJack, a popular Windows Phone device prior to 2007 that resembled RIM's Blackberry devices in name, design and features. The model was singled out for promotion at the time by Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer as a cheaper device with greater potential than the then-new iPhone.
Apple illustration of Samsung phones pre- and post-iPhone. | Source: Apple trial brief
Samsung has responded by arguing that it had phones and prototypes with a prominent display prior to the iPhone, and dismissed Apple's iPhone design as having nothing more an a series of features that were in "widespread use" prior to its launch.
Comments
Dont think buying an iPad will help those people
I don't know what I'm more tired of reading about... this lawsuit or Chick-fil-a.
NO THEY DIDN'T. NO ONE WOULD CONFUSE A SAMSUNG TABLET FOR AN IPAD. THIS IS A CROCK. APPLE IS SUING BECAUSE THEY WANT A MONOPOLY. INNOVATE, DON'T LITIGATE, APPLE.
This reminds me of the footage of someone showing random people in a mall the Retina iPhone next to the non-Retina iPhone. Over half could not see the difference.
Samsung clearly ripped off Apple, but never doubt the sheer stupidity of people.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
NO THEY DIDN'T. NO ONE WOULD CONFUSE A SAMSUNG TABLET FOR AN IPAD. THIS IS A CROCK. APPLE IS SUING BECAUSE THEY WANT A MONOPOLY. INNOVATE, DON'T LITIGATE, APPLE.
Just to clear this up for all the idiots out there, I think he is being sarcastic.
(thermonuclear) bombshell.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleZilla
This reminds me of the footage of someone showing random people in a mall the Retina iPhone next to the non-Retina iPhone. Over half could not see the difference.
Samsung clearly ripped off Apple, but never doubt the sheer stupidity of people.
QFT
Quote:
Originally Posted by logandigges
Just to clear this up for all the idiots out there, I think he is being sarcastic.
Mod vs Troll
Quote:
Originally Posted by Just_Me
Dont think buying an iPad will help those people
Here is the scenario I am imagining:
Mother tells the Grandmother that grand child wants an iPad as a gift for <fill in event>
Grandmother goes to Best Buy and says I need to purchase one of those new tablet computers I think they call it the iPad.
Best Buy sales rep tells her the tablet she really needs to buy is this brand new Galaxy Tab, it is the best one on the market.
On the day of the <event> grand child opens gift and bursts into tears. "I wanted the iPad".
Next day mom and child go to Best Buy to exchange it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleZilla
This reminds me of the footage of someone showing random people in a mall the Retina iPhone next to the non-Retina iPhone. Over half could not see the difference.
Samsung clearly ripped off Apple, but never doubt the sheer stupidity of people.
So you're saying Samsung clearly ripped off Apple, yet only stupid people are susceptible to thinking the Samsung tab is the same as an iPad. Are you calling yourself stupid or what?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Just_Me
Mod vs Troll
Yeah. Now he even has an "entourage" to explain his pithy posts. :-/
Ego. I bet he wears a cape at home and has a long suffering (and mostly silent) wife or partner.
Bury them!!!!!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Here is the scenario I am imagining:
Mother tells the Grandmother that grand child wants an iPad as a gift for <fill in event>
Grandmother goes to Best Buy and says I need to purchase one of those new tablet computers I think they call it the iPad.
Best Buy sales rep tells her the tablet she really needs to buy is this brand new Galaxy Tab, it is the best one on the market.
On the day of the <event> grand child opens gift and bursts into tears. "I wanted the iPad".
Next day mom and child go to Best Buy to exchange it.
How many grandmas buy ipads for grandchildren? I say no more than double digit.
I would guess most ipads are bought by users themselves and not as gifts.
Of course AI wouldn't post this part though
http://gizmodo.com/5929630/proof-that-the-iphone-4-could-have-perfectly-been-a-sony-product-back-in-the-80s
I've said it before, people are stupid. This proves it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
NO THEY DIDN'T. NO ONE WOULD CONFUSE A SAMSUNG TABLET FOR AN IPAD. THIS IS A CROCK. APPLE IS SUING BECAUSE THEY WANT A MONOPOLY. INNOVATE, DON'T LITIGATE, APPLE.
I LOLed... The funny thing is, you could go to The Verge and read comments like this all day. The Verge is the new anti-Apple troll breeding grounds.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Just_Me
How many grandmas buy ipads for grandchildren? I say no more than double digit.
I would guess most ipads are bought by users themselves and not as gifts.
I would say every child under the age of let's say 16, who has an iPad, received it as a gift. If you don't like grandmas then move down one generation and substitute clueless mom who got hoodwinked by the Best Buy sales staff.
Now watch... trollers and iHaters had said that no one would be stupid-enough to mistaken a Samsung for an iPad. Well, here you go. How are you going to spin this one from your basement kids???
The "iPad" name I think is becoming more synonymous with a group (like "Tablets") than a specific brand. This is what I think the Android players are hoping for too but don't have the balls to come right out and admit it. A person will just as likely believe from a pimple-faced fandroid rep that the Samsung tablet is "Just like an iPad, only better", only to get it home, try it out for a day and realize it's not the same thing.
I remember a conversation I had with someone at a table at a bar when he said "Check out my new iPod" and it was some no-name, music player. I told him "That's not an iPod, it's a music player". He looks at me curiously and asked me "What's the difference?".
That's why Apple is taking out the big guns. Shame on Samsung, shame on fandroids for defending theft of IP. Buzz off.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
Yeah. Now he even has an "entourage" to explain his pithy posts. :-/
Ego. I bet he wears a cape at home and has a long suffering (and mostly silent) wife or partner.
Oh, come on. After repeated exposure to imbecilic anti-Apple troll posts, it's easy to understand why we become so battle hardened.
I think part of the issue is the generification of the name 'iPad'. People are starting to use it as a proper noun instead of a specific product. This is what Xerox went through years ago; when people wanted to make a copy of something, they'd say 'make a xerox of this', even they'd be using some crappy copier.