Apple

Samsung now copies Apple’s Mac mini?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

Amid the epic Apple v. Samsung legal fight over mobile devices, it's easy to overlook other cases where an argument could be made that Samsung looked to Apple's design language perhaps too closely in order to make its gear more pleasing to the eye. Enter Samsung's Chromebox Series 3, a $300 computer running Google's Chrome OS.

The computer comes packaged in an enclosure which bears uncanny resemblance to Apple's Mac mini, down to the exact 7.6-inch-square footprint, rounded corners and silver rim, which in Samsung's case is made of painted plastic instead of aluminum. Of course, you're free to argue I'm stretching it, but first take a look at the comparison images right after the break...

Confidential Apple, Samsung sales data revealed in court documents

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

The Apple v. Samsung case is a peep show of sorts, a pornographic public showing of the two technology giant's closely kept secrets to the extent that we have for the first time been allowed to examine a bunch of early device prototypes, read internal communication about Apple's engineering process, including tidbits like Apple's 'kitchen' brainstorming, and laugh over such mundane things as stickers on court exhibits.

And now, a very important and confidential piece of information has also been publicized, Apple's and Samsung's sales numbers...

Apple and Samsung now bickering over stickers on court exhibits

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 10, 2012

We were expecting all sorts of clever maneuvering and cunning legal tactics in the Apple v. Samsung case, but in all honesty nothing could have prepared us for this.

Seemingly out of the blue, Samsunf on Friday filed a motion that asks the court to take a closer look at the stickers Apple plastered on the back of Samsung devices which are part of court exhibits pertaining to the case.

The Galaxy maker argues that Apple just recently attached large exhibit labels to the backside of its devices in a manner that purposefully obscures Samsung's trade dress (the visual appearance of a product or its packaging).

Samsung names three devices in its motion, among them the Galaxy S Captivate (pictured above) which Samsung argues could deceive the jurors with its large sticker that intentionally obscures "a distinct checkered back panel". No, really...

The iPhone remains America’s best-selling handset, but Apple must double down on prepaid

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 9, 2012

Though Android is peaking in the United States, globally Google's platform is widening its lead over the iPhone and in the second quarter of this year accounted for an IDC-estimated two-thirds of all smartphones sold, mainly thanks to Samsung whose Android handsets represented 44 percent of all Android smartphone shipments.

A new survey by NPD sheds more light on market trends. See, postpaid smartphone units remained flat in Q2 2012 compared to the year-ago quarter. All of the growth in smartphones came as a result of prepaid smartphone unit volume almost doubling on an annual basis...

Internal Samsung report says Galaxy should be more like the iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

The high-profile court battle between Apple and Samsung has already yielded several interesting documents and secrets from both companies, and another morsel just surfaced.

This time it's a 132-page internal report from Samsung, submitted into evidence by Apple in its ongoing effort to prove the company copied its smartphone and tablet designs...

Conan O’Brien pokes fun at Apple-Samsung trial

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

With billions of dollars hanging in the balance, and both companies' reputations at stake, the Samsung-Apple trial is one of the most high-profile in history.

But you wouldn't know any of this unless you frequently visited tech sites, like iDB, or you happened to be watching tonight's episode of Conan O'Brien...

Apple now accounts for 8.8% of Samsung’s revenue

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 7, 2012

Despite a massive legal spat between Apple and Samsung over who copied whose tablets and smartphones, the two frenemies remain dependent on each other's business. Samsung makes Apple's in-house designed mobile processors and supplies the iPhone maker with massive amounts of displays and flash memory chips for iOS devices.

A new report suggests the Apple account is worth a whopping 8.8 percent of Samsung's revenue, making Apple Samsung's largest customer and perhaps giving Cupertino some added leverage in its business and legal dealings with the South Korea-headquartered conglomerate. The next biggest Samsung client? Read on...

Here’s how much Apple is demanding in damages per each Samsung device

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

It was recently suggested that Apple wanted Samsung to pay as much as $2.5 billion in damages for allegedly copying its iOS devices: $500 million in lost profits, $25 million in royalty damages and a whopping $2 billion for the profits Samsung “unjustly received” using Apple’s intellectual property.

A new report breaks down the figure on a per-device basis, as outlined in an exhibit prepared by accounting consulting firm Invotex Group, which specializes in calculating royalty rates for litigation...

Steve Jobs warned Samsung not to steal inertial scrolling patent

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

As part of iOS chief Scott Forstall's deposition in the Apple v. Samsung mega-suit, it was revealed that Steve Jobs explicitly advised Samsung against copying or stealing the rubber band scrolling, a feature Jobs specifically underscored during his January 2007 iPhone keynote.

Another tidbit describes how Jobs felt about Samsung lifting the iPhone's rectangular appearance and its icons...

Industrial design expert on why Samsung is the copyist

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 6, 2012

Samsung has been called the copyist by Apple many times over, the first time in court documents the iPhone maker filed as part of patent infringement claims brought against its frenemy in April of 2011.

But evidence is mounting that Samsung slavishly copied some areas of the iPhone experience, like the iPhone's gorgeous icons.

On Monday, Apple brought in an expert to testify before a northern California court where the iPhone and Galaxy makers locked horns in the patent trial of the century...

New images try to prove that Samsung copied Apple’s icons

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

As we begin week two of the high-profile patent trial between Apple and Samsung, we're starting to see a lot more evidence submitted by both companies. And this next bit, filed by Apple, is particularly interesting.

In court today, Apple's legal team presented 6 images to the jury that it believes proves that Samsung intentionally copied its iOS icons for use in its TouchWiz interface it installs in all of its popular Android handsets...

Nokia, Samsung countering iPhone 5 with ‘iconic’ Windows Phone 8 devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 6, 2012

The next iPhone is upon us (think September 21-ish) and Apple's rivals are scrambling to conveniently time their upcoming 'hero' device announcements around the same timeframe. That's brave tactics, trying to divert spotlight away from the mother of all upgrades, as analyst Gene Munster dubbed the iPhone 5 release.

Both Samsung and Nokia are set to unveil new high-end devices built around Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 software. One of the devices is being described in court documents as an "iconic smartphone". All phones should be on store shelves in time for the holiday shopping frenzy. Should Apple be worried?