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From an ethical perspective, I find Samsung's inability to innovate and subsequent willingness to carbon-copy the iPhone and iPad to be reprehensible and wrong.

From an ethical perspective, I find Samsung's inability to innovate and subsequent willingness to carbon-copy the iPhone and iPad to be reprehensible and wrong. It's sad that Samsung seemingly can't come up with much original on their own. From the perspective of fostering general innovation in the marketplace and increasing the greater good, software and design patents need to go bye-bye. Apple's just playing the game according to the current rules, and the current rules really need to change.

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
hessenwolf 15y ago
I find my Samsung Galaxy S really different to the iphones I have tried, and to have a similarity to the samsung netbook I have kicking around at home. These patent infringements seem absurdly minor to me.
nodata 15y ago
My G2 has a back button, a home button and an options button below the screen which takes up most of the device. An iPhone doesn't. The battery is user replaceable. I can plug in an sd card. On an iPhone I can't. On the G2 I can switch between recent applications by holding the home button. I can access the contents of my phone by using a web browser. I can sync without iTunes. Doesn't sound like a carbon copy to me.
- evilduck 15y ago
  Samsung didn't invent any of that.
  - evilduck 15y ago
    I'm sorry, why the downvote? This is about Samsung creating a product that's not a copy of Apple right? The Home, Back and Menu actions are required by Google and who suggests manufacturers make them hardware inputs. They're not "differentiating their product from Apple", they're complying with the specified requirements to run the OS they chose. They could have innovated by making them gestures or a touchpad or something, but they didn't. Switching applications with home buttons and other OS behaviors are not Samsung's ideas, they're part of the stock Android OS. For Samsung's actual contributions to the product, compare their first Android device, the I7500, to their Galaxy II line. Which direction did the design travel? I7500: http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2009/04/i7500_samsung.jpg http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2009/04/i7500_... iPhone: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/06/iphone-4-top-new-1.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/06/iphone... Galaxy II: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/04/11z428207gsii.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/04/11z428...
    - nodata 15y ago
      I didn't downvote you, but I guess the reason is that it's irrelevant which parts Samsung invented, and which parts Google invented since the point is that Apple didn't. But Apple's new version of iOS "copies" several of the features from my phone.
      - evilduck 15y ago
        You original reply was to this: I find Samsung's inability to innovate and subsequent willingness to carbon-copy the iPhone and iPad to be reprehensible and wrong. It's sad that Samsung seemingly can't come up with much original on their own. And you countered with an HTC G2 example, tangential to the Samsung vs. Apple story. My point was circling back around to the linked story and GP post which was Samsung vs. Apple. Feature copying between Google and Apple is an entirely different debate. Samsung is very clearly trying to ride Apple's coat tails in ways that HTC and Google are not.
nodata 15y ago
My G2 has a back button, a home button and an options button below the screen which takes up most of the device. An iPhone doesn't. The battery is user replaceable. I can plug in an sd card. On an iPhone I can't. On the G2 I can switch between recent applications by holding the home button. I can access the contents of my phone by using a web browser. I can sync without iTunes. Doesn't sound like a carbon copy to me.
Roritharr 15y ago
This is simply untrue. The Galaxy S2 is much more feature-rich than any iPhone to Date. The Voice Control and Speech-To-Text Functions are outstanding. The HDMI Output via MHL Port is useful, i've used it as a backup for holding a presentation once now and was glad that it was possible... there are so much features i love about this device that i can't fathom why someone would say that Samsung isn't innovating...
- SnowLprd 15y ago
  Did Samsung add voice control and speech-to-text functions, or is that part of the Android OS that Google provides Samsung for free? While I don't have any need for HDMI output on my phone, I applaud Samsung's efforts to add differentiating features. That said, adding an HDMI port falls short of the type of innovation to which I referred in my original comment. Look at the following photo and tell me that Samsung didn't completely rip off the iPhone's look and feel, right down to the icon layout: http://www.gadgetfolder.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Samsung-Galaxy-S2-Seine-2.jpg http://www.gadgetfolder.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Samsu... Samsung had an opportunity to innovate in a way that would make the Galaxy S2 look and feel nothing like an iPhone and instead look and feel like a new, innovative product. They clearly didn't do that. Comments like "My G2 has a back button unlike the iPhone" or "But the icons have square corners instead of rounded corners!!", in my opinion, completely miss the point. I'm not claiming that Samsung copies Apple's products down to the last molecule/pixel, nor do I believe that Samsung is incapable of adding ports/buttons that Apple chooses to omit. The point is that Samsung is clearly trying their hardest to make their products look very similar to Apple's products. I personally believe Samsung should try to imbue their products with their own brand design/identity.
  - Roritharr 15y ago
    The Voice-Features on the G2 are mixed Google and Vlingo products. Samsung chose to incorporate Vlingos Technology in addition to Googles since it allows for easier in-car usage of the Phone. Why do people always compare the Applists? There are not many ways to display a list of icons in a meaningful way. The Windows Desktop has had a grid of icons for years and there was much else like that beforehand, but in addition the Android handsets offer more useful ways of using the screen when not starting apps(widgets&live backgrounds). I won't admit that Samsung sure took inspiration from Apple, but that is true for most of the things, if not only because of usability reasons. There are just some design patterns that have proven to work and which people have come to expect. The race should be about who makes the best phone, not who made the first design patents. Apple didn't have copy and paste on a mobile phone long after windows mobile had it... should microsoft have sued because of that? I just want the best of all worlds and Samsung delivers there. If they have to stop selling the Galaxies in Europe, i'd import them from Asia.
stewbrew 15y ago
It could be a consequence of actually building a third of the iphone. (I know the above statement isn't exact.)

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

hessenwolf 15y ago

I find my Samsung Galaxy S really different to the iphones I have tried, and to have a similarity to the samsung netbook I have kicking around at home. These patent infringements seem absurdly minor to me.

nodata 15y ago

My G2 has a back button, a home button and an options button below the screen which takes up most of the device. An iPhone doesn't. The battery is user replaceable. I can plug in an sd card. On an iPhone I can't. On the G2 I can switch between recent applications by holding the home button. I can access the contents of my phone by using a web browser. I can sync without iTunes. Doesn't sound like a carbon copy to me.

evilduck 15y ago
Samsung didn't invent any of that.
- evilduck 15y ago
  I'm sorry, why the downvote? This is about Samsung creating a product that's not a copy of Apple right? The Home, Back and Menu actions are required by Google and who suggests manufacturers make them hardware inputs. They're not "differentiating their product from Apple", they're complying with the specified requirements to run the OS they chose. They could have innovated by making them gestures or a touchpad or something, but they didn't. Switching applications with home buttons and other OS behaviors are not Samsung's ideas, they're part of the stock Android OS. For Samsung's actual contributions to the product, compare their first Android device, the I7500, to their Galaxy II line. Which direction did the design travel? I7500: http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2009/04/i7500_samsung.jpg http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2009/04/i7500_... iPhone: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/06/iphone-4-top-new-1.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/06/iphone... Galaxy II: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/04/11z428207gsii.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/04/11z428...
  - nodata 15y ago
    I didn't downvote you, but I guess the reason is that it's irrelevant which parts Samsung invented, and which parts Google invented since the point is that Apple didn't. But Apple's new version of iOS "copies" several of the features from my phone.
    - evilduck 15y ago
      You original reply was to this: I find Samsung's inability to innovate and subsequent willingness to carbon-copy the iPhone and iPad to be reprehensible and wrong. It's sad that Samsung seemingly can't come up with much original on their own. And you countered with an HTC G2 example, tangential to the Samsung vs. Apple story. My point was circling back around to the linked story and GP post which was Samsung vs. Apple. Feature copying between Google and Apple is an entirely different debate. Samsung is very clearly trying to ride Apple's coat tails in ways that HTC and Google are not.

nodata 15y ago

Roritharr 15y ago

This is simply untrue. The Galaxy S2 is much more feature-rich than any iPhone to Date. The Voice Control and Speech-To-Text Functions are outstanding. The HDMI Output via MHL Port is useful, i've used it as a backup for holding a presentation once now and was glad that it was possible... there are so much features i love about this device that i can't fathom why someone would say that Samsung isn't innovating...

SnowLprd 15y ago
Did Samsung add voice control and speech-to-text functions, or is that part of the Android OS that Google provides Samsung for free? While I don't have any need for HDMI output on my phone, I applaud Samsung's efforts to add differentiating features. That said, adding an HDMI port falls short of the type of innovation to which I referred in my original comment. Look at the following photo and tell me that Samsung didn't completely rip off the iPhone's look and feel, right down to the icon layout: http://www.gadgetfolder.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Samsung-Galaxy-S2-Seine-2.jpg http://www.gadgetfolder.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Samsu... Samsung had an opportunity to innovate in a way that would make the Galaxy S2 look and feel nothing like an iPhone and instead look and feel like a new, innovative product. They clearly didn't do that. Comments like "My G2 has a back button unlike the iPhone" or "But the icons have square corners instead of rounded corners!!", in my opinion, completely miss the point. I'm not claiming that Samsung copies Apple's products down to the last molecule/pixel, nor do I believe that Samsung is incapable of adding ports/buttons that Apple chooses to omit. The point is that Samsung is clearly trying their hardest to make their products look very similar to Apple's products. I personally believe Samsung should try to imbue their products with their own brand design/identity.
- Roritharr 15y ago
  The Voice-Features on the G2 are mixed Google and Vlingo products. Samsung chose to incorporate Vlingos Technology in addition to Googles since it allows for easier in-car usage of the Phone. Why do people always compare the Applists? There are not many ways to display a list of icons in a meaningful way. The Windows Desktop has had a grid of icons for years and there was much else like that beforehand, but in addition the Android handsets offer more useful ways of using the screen when not starting apps(widgets&live backgrounds). I won't admit that Samsung sure took inspiration from Apple, but that is true for most of the things, if not only because of usability reasons. There are just some design patterns that have proven to work and which people have come to expect. The race should be about who makes the best phone, not who made the first design patents. Apple didn't have copy and paste on a mobile phone long after windows mobile had it... should microsoft have sued because of that? I just want the best of all worlds and Samsung delivers there. If they have to stop selling the Galaxies in Europe, i'd import them from Asia.

stewbrew 15y ago

It could be a consequence of actually building a third of the iphone. (I know the above statement isn't exact.)