Internal Samsung memo shows iPhone caused 'crisis of design'

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
An internal Samsung email presented at Apple v. Samsung proceedings on Monday shows the South Korean electronics giant had what it calls a "crisis of design" when the first iPhone launched in 2007.

During the fourth day of proceedings in the U.S. patent trial, Samsung Chief Strategy Officer Justin Denison continued his testimony by bringing out an internal memo meant to highlight the company's pride and competitive nature, reports Forbes.

According to Denison, Samsung has a "hyperbolic" management style, as evidenced by the memo regarding a "crisis of design" between the company's products and the then-newly-released Apple iPhone. What was intended to put Samsung in a positive light became fodder for Apple counsel William Lee, who noted the comparisons being made between the two companies' products.

In the email, Samsung managers described the difference between their products and the iPhone as being "heaven and earth."

From the email:
Influential figures outside the company come across the iPhone, and they point out that ?Samsung is dozing off.' All this time we?ve been paying all our attention to Nokia, and concentrated our efforts on things like Folder, Bar, Slide, yet when our [product] is compared to the unexpected competitor Apple?s iPhone, the difference is truly that of Heaven and Earth. It?s a crisis of design.
A number of objections from Samsung were overruled as presiding Judge Lucy Koh said Denison's reference to the email in earlier testimony "opened the door" to Apple's questioning.

Lee asked if Denison could provide a similar document regarding a "crisis in design compared to Nokia," to which the Samsung exec said, "No, I can't."

Denison's testimony is a carry-over from Friday where internal Samsung documents revealed side-by-side comparisons of the company's Galaxy S to Apple's iPhone, as well as reports titled "Beat Apple response," "Recent Apple analysis project" and "iPhone 5 counter strategy," among others.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 117


    OOOPS !!!!

  • Reply 2 of 117


    Translation: "Crap! We've been spending all of our time copying Nokia when we should've been copying Apple!" Stay classy Samsung. image

  • Reply 3 of 117
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post

    According to Denison, Samsung has a "hyperbolic" management style, as evidenced by the memo regarding a "crisis of design" between the company's products and the then-newly-released Apple iPhone. What was intended to put Samsung in a positive light became fodder for Apple counsel William Lee, who noted the comparisons being made between the two companies' products.

    In the email, Samsung managers described the difference between their products and the iPhone as being "heaven and earth."

    From the email:

    All this time we?ve been paying all our attention to Nokia, and concentrated our efforts on things like Folder, Bar, Slide, yet when our [product] is compared to the unexpected competitor Apple?s iPhone, the difference is truly that of Heaven and Earth. It?s a crisis of design.


     


     


    BOMBSHELL.

  • Reply 4 of 117
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Santoanderson View Post


    Translation: "Crap! We've been spending all of our time copying Nokia when we should've been copying Apple!" Stay classy Samsung. image



     


    Yup. Samsung is one of the most crooked companies in tech. And when you are as shameless as they are, some hilarious (and very damaging) facts come tumbling out in the wash. 

  • Reply 5 of 117


    It's truly baffling that this companies don't try copying the most important thing about Apple, especially when it's completely LEGAL! Copy Apple's actual goals! They spell them out constantly: make the best possible product for your target customer. That's actually what Apple does and it's not freaking magic!

  • Reply 6 of 117
    umrk_labumrk_lab Posts: 550member


    too bad for them ... they did not destroy enough internal memos ....

  • Reply 7 of 117
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by franktinsley View Post


    It's truly baffling that this companies don't try copying the most important thing about Apple, especially when it's completely LEGAL! Copy Apple's actual goals! They spell them out constantly: make the best possible product for your target customer. That's actually what Apple does and it's not freaking magic!



     


    Exactly. Well done.  :)

  • Reply 8 of 117
    [I]Do you deny that Samsung had a crisis of design when the iPhone shipped?? Don't wait for the translation, answer me now!![/I]
  • Reply 9 of 117
    Translation: "Crap! We've been spending all of our time copying Nokia when we should've been copying Apple!" Stay classy Samsung. :lol:

    LOL. Yeah, I know. I was like, did that Samsung guy just admit they were copying Nokia before Apple arrived on the scene?!
  • Reply 10 of 117
    adamiigsadamiigs Posts: 355member


    Your honor it is not fair apple is cross examining our witness.  B O O  H O O!

  • Reply 11 of 117


    Remember Samsung had the first iphone blocked in Korea for well over 2 years so they can catch up to Apple.  When the iphone finally got approved by their FCC, Samsung punished  the carrier that carried the iphone.

  • Reply 12 of 117
    buzdotsbuzdots Posts: 452member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    ...Samsung Chief Strategy Officer Justin Denison continued his testimony by bringing out an internal memo meant to highlight the company's pride and competitive nature...


     



    What a complete and utter failure of strategy.  If this is the best representation they have, they don't have much.


     







    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    ...Samsung's Ex-Chief Strategy Officer Justin Denison ...


     



    There, correct as of tomorrow morning.

  • Reply 13 of 117
    nkalunkalu Posts: 315member


    Geez!


    Too bad for Samsung. This proves what we thought all along, that Samsung is a copycat.

  • Reply 14 of 117
    lhunterlhunter Posts: 13member


    Funny thing is that Apple is going to fund their next 5 lawsuits with the funds received from Samsung...get ready Google, HTC, etc...  Apple's war chest is about to get $2.5B larger.

  • Reply 15 of 117
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    It's truly baffling that this companies don't try copying the most important thing about Apple, especially when it's completely LEGAL! Copy Apple's actual goals! They spell them out constantly: make the best possible product for your target customer. That's actually what Apple does and it's not freaking magic!

    Easier said than done. Building a great product isn't the end of it, it has to have a great user experience plus be very functional in more than one area. The iPod and itunes had been around for quite a few years before the iPhone came out. Combining a iPod and a cell phone was sure to sell well, then the app store, adding more and more functionality with every iteration. That's gonna be a hard formula for someone to copy.
  • Reply 16 of 117
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    This is amazing! Every day it just looks worse and worse for Samsung.

    At this point, no matter how much you love your Samsung kit or hate Apple's business philosphies if you can't see that Samsung is in the wrong you are a bigoted anti-Appleite.
  • Reply 17 of 117
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    lhunter wrote: »
    Funny thing is that Apple is going to fund their next 5 lawsuits with the funds received from Samsung...get ready Google, HTC, etc...  Apple's war chest is about to get $2.5B larger.

    Don't hold your breath for that $2.5B.
  • Reply 18 of 117
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    This is amazing! Every day it just looks worse and worse for Samsung.
    At this point, no matter how much you love your Samsung kit or hate Apple's business philosphies if you can't see that Samsung is in the wrong you are a bigoted anti-Appleite.

    I'm not surprised at all, I'm sure there were "holy shit" memos sent through every manufacturer. The iPhone quickly became the iMonkeyWrench in all of their plans.
  • Reply 19 of 117
    It's truly baffling that this companies don't try copying the most important thing about Apple, especially when it's completely LEGAL! Copy Apple's actual goals! They spell them out constantly: make the best possible product for your target customer. That's actually what Apple does and it's not freaking magic!

    Maybe part of Apple's success is their tightly integrated solution. Apple makes the hardware, software and controls the platform.

    On the other hand... Samsung makes the hardware... but uses someone else's software, store and other services.

    It works... but the result might not be the best possible product or user experience.

    As others have said... Apple has many services that they roll into their products... iTunes and the App Store being a couple of the big ones.

    If Apple's goal is to leverage all of their services into a great user experience... not many other companies can duplicate that.
  • Reply 20 of 117
    bilbo63bilbo63 Posts: 285member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by umrk_lab View Post


    too bad for them ... they did not destroy enough internal memos ....



     


    That's exactly what I was thinking. If Samsung, let this one see the light of day, one wonders how damning the memos and e-mails that they destroyed were. Ouch!

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