Apple is separating the new smartphones into its usual low-cost versus high-cost categories, with big differences between the two models coming down to the camera, display, and battery life.
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Apple Targets Samsung With New Lawsuit Over 'Galaxy' Line
Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has filed a patent lawsuit against Samsung, targeting the Korean company's "Galaxy" line of Android-based smartphones and tablets.
The lawsuit, filed on April 15 in the Northern District of California, alleged that Samsung's smartphones, such as the "Galaxy S 4G," "Epic 4G," "Nexus S" and its "Galaxy Tab" touchscreen tablet, violated Apple's intellectual property.
"Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple's technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products," the lawsuit said.
Samsung is one the companies pushing ahead most aggressively in the tablet market to compete against Apple's iPad, having already released a 7-inch "Galaxy Tab" and announced larger 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch versions set to launch within the next few months. The company is of course also a major player in the Android-based smartphone market.
Update: All Things Digital has posted a few images from the lawsuit, a number of which show side-by-side comparisons between Apple's and Samsung's devices.
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110 months ago
I guess I can see Apple's point. But, aren't all tablets going to have a similar style and interface? It would seem like there can be only marginal differences in a touch screen interface.
110 months ago
"Silly" being the operative word here.
Not at all.
Some of you guys really don't understand how important design is.
For instance, I have a very distinctive modern retro look car, but if a Chinese company were to copy it and start selling it, all hell would break lose. Companies don't invest large amounts of money designing something and then marketing it at huge cost, for someone to come along and copy the bits they like and chuck it out at much less cost.
Companies need protection from each other to stop designs and inventions being ripped off.
What is so difficult to understand about that?
Samsung are going to have their arse handed to them over the Apple lawsuit, and not only are Apple going to be able to show that Samsung copies their designs, but that Samsung copies everyones design.
So forget the question of whether the icon has square or round edges, Samsung are going to be shown as a company that respects no one, let alone Apple.
What would be interesting is whether anyone else files a similar suit, especially Nokia, now that Apple have got started.
110 months ago
Yes, some Android device it have it. It has been previewed and even talked about in the Android community, as unimpressive as they are.
http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2011/03/15/netflix-for-android-app-hijacked-from-the-lg-revolution/
A stolen app that doesn't actually stream anything is not "having it."
110 months ago
The first of apple lawsuits seems to go against apple :
HTC and Nokia score legal win against Apple
http://www.rethink-wireless.com/2011/04/20/htc-nokia-score-legal-win-against-apple.htm
Lets hope apple puts a bit more effort into iOS 5 and the iphone 5 and not in inventing legal charges against its competitors.
Well, that would be a good story, except that you left out half the facts.
Nokia sued Apple first. They started a court case about patents, which takes ages and ages, and they started a separate action against Apple to stop Apple from importing iPhones into the USA. That second kind of action is one that is very rarely successful. The next step was that obviously Apple countersued Nokia for patent infringement, and Apple took the same separate action against Nokia to stop them from importing Nokia phones into the USA. Nokia's attempt to stop Apple from importing iPhones into the USA was rejected a few months ago, quite predictably, and Apple's attempt to stop Nokia from importing phones into the USA was rejected just now, equally predictable.
The real action there is the case of Nokia against Apple. Apple against Nokia is just an unimportant (to Apple) side show; equally unimportant are both parties' attempts to stop imports.
You dont design a phone in weeks
You don't design a phone in weeks, but it is quite easy to show something that looks quite similar to an iPhone only weeks after seeing an iPhone for the first time. Compare the times between the first model shown and the actual phone released: iPhone was shown in January, released in April. Samsung phone was shown in February, released in November. Nine months vs. three months. A very clear indication that Samsung's phone was nowhere near the level of completed development that the iPhone was.
110 months ago
Samsung generates slightly more revenue than Apple. Perhaps they could buy Apple.
Please.
Samsung Electronics
US$ 117.4 billion (2009)
Apple
US$ 65.23 billion (2010)
110 months ago
A stolen app that doesn't actually stream anything is not "having it."
This...Android won't "have it" until Netflix makes the release official.
Right now all Android has is the Blockbuster app.
And it won't work if your phone is rooted.
110 months ago
The other thing you should have added is that Google Maps on Android has supported offline caching since December last year.
http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/12/16/google-maps-5-with-3d-buildings-now-available-for-android/
Perhaps if people have isues where they lose their data connection whilst using gps they should move to a more reliable network?
Andy, at what point were these "non-techies" confused at what is an actual iPhone? Was it at the point of sale because if it was, every single mobile phone/electronics shop I go in to has their phones laid out with specifications and information about the product they are looking at. If people are dumb enough to buy the "wrong" product at this point in the sale, what hope is there for them?
Image (http://techmash.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/ipad2-8423305.jpg)
Image (http://www.careace.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Best-Buy-Google-Mobile-App.jpg)
Image (http://www.marshallsyard.co.uk/images/bannerStoreCarphoneWarehouse2.jpg)
If people do really buy samsung stuff instead of apple due to confusion/sales-pitch even though they had intended to buy apple stuff, Apple should be thanking samsung for keeping such clueless people out of Apple stores. can you imagine the tech support Apple store clerks would have to provide?
110 months ago
If you drive down the street you see millions of cars that look very much alike, but car makers don't waste time suing each other over style similarities because they can rely on the performance specifics of their cars, and the buyers will compare and choose what's best for them.
Apple must be very worried about the slew of tablets coming out and it knows that its window of dominance is closing.
They are afraid of the competition.
They are deathly afraid of Android, for it they weren't, their legions of followers would not post the thousands of posts on this forum, bashing anything and everything about Android.
If Android was to go away tomorrow, they would go into shock, and be desperately seeking something else to take out their anger and issues on.
Never Happy, Apple is launching lawsuits left and right.
Fan-boys and Apple apologists are standing behind them with every excuse in the book, and at the end of the day they all relish the chaos.
Apple loves headlines, their users money, the power and control they have cultivated over the New York Times, and the legions of non thinking drones that worship Steve.
110 months ago
Carmakers sue each other all the time, for things as silly as the number of slits in the front grill.
Ha! Jeep vs Hummer?
And Jeep lost, partly because even though many people did show confusion between the two brands, the actual buyers themselves did not.
Of course, it also helped that the court ruled that GM had no intention of causing confusion. Not sure that Samsung would get away with that.
110 months ago
If you drive down the street you see millions of cars that look very much alike, but car makers don't waste time suing each other over style similarities because they can rely on the performance specifics of their cars, and the buyers will compare and choose what's best for them.
Apple must be very worried about the slew of tablets coming out and it knows that its window of dominance is closing.
They are afraid of the competition.
I was playing with a Xoom last week, and it's every bit as good as the iPad2, even without its Flash or micro sd card slot active yet. Honeycomb is a fantastic OS and Apple knows what this means. I am very pleased with the emerging competition. It's good for the consumer.
Carmakers sue each other all the time, for things as silly as the number of slits in the front grill.
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