UK Judge Rules Samsung Tablets 'Not as Cool' as iPad
With the avalanche of patent lawsuits involving Apple, we try to restrict our coverage to the most significant developments such as issued injunctions, final settlements, and monetary awards.
But while a UK judge's ruling today that Samsung's Galaxy Tab products do not infringe upon Apple's iPad design merely maintains the status quo from a competitive perspective in one of the many ongoing cases between the two companies, what is sure to spark discussion is the judge's assessment that the Galaxy tablets are simply "not as cool" as the iPad. Bloomberg reports:
The Galaxy tablet doesn’t infringe Apple’s registered design, Judge Colin Birss said in a ruling today in London. He said that consumers weren’t likely to get the two tablet computers mixed up.
The Galaxy tablets “do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design,” Birss said. “They are not as cool.”
More specifically, Birss ruled that the Galaxy tablets' thinner profiles and "unusual details" on the back of the devices made them different enough from the iPad that they were not too similar to Apple's design.
Apple has 21 days in which to appeal the ruling.
Popular Stories
After announcing a new iPad mini with an OLED display earlier this month, Apple plans to release new iPad Air, iPad Pro, and entry-level iPad models in the first half of 2027, according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the next iPad Air will also feature an OLED display, while he expects the next iPad Pro to be equipped with a...
Apple today updated its U.S. trade-in estimates, raising maximum values across the iPad lineup and for most Macs following today's announcement of the new iPad mini.
Every iPad category has gained value, although the increases are relatively modest. The iPad mini and standard iPad both rise by $20, while the iPad Air gains $15 and the iPad Pro increases by $10. The revised maximum estimates...
Samsung this week launched an advertising campaign mocking the display issues some people have had with the iPhone Duo.
In an Instagram post on its Canadian account, Samsung shared several images showing a bright line through the spot where iPhone Duo models have been experiencing display problems.
There are three images, each with different text:
Folding is nothing new to us
Foldi...
