Sam Oliver
Referred to internally as "Purple," the prototype created in August 2005 was revealed in new court documents in the Apple-Samsung lawsuit, which is set to kick off in court today. The filing, highlighted by The Verge on Monday, shows a white iPhone dominated by a touchscreen on the front, with a home button below the display that reads "Menu."
The prototype design has flat sides and curved corners much like the iPhone 4, and the back of the device has a spot for a camera lens in the upper right corner. Apple revealed the "Purple" design in an attempt to show the court that its smartphone design was not stolen from Sony.
Samsung previously asserted in court that Apple's iPhone design was inspired by Sony's aesthetics. As evidence of this, it showed a prototype iPhone from 2006 from Apple designer Shin Nishibori that included the word "Jony," presumably in honor of Apple's lead designer Jony Ive, in the same font and style as the "Sony" logo.
But the "Purple" prototype revealed by Apple predates the "Jony" concept by months. Apple also said that Nishibori's Sony-inspired concepts were "an 'enjoyable' side project" that embellished a concept Apple had already designed.
Apple's "Purple" iPhone prototype dates back to August of 2005.
The lawsuit between Samsung and Apple has revealed a number of highly confidential internal documents from each company. Last week, dozens of unreleased iPhone and iPad design prototypes were disclosed, including an iPad with a kickstand, and a two-toned rear casing for an iPhone.
While the lawsuit centers around Samsung and Apple, a report in Monday's The Wall Street Journal suggests the lawsuit is a "proxy" for Google, maker of the Android mobile operating system found on most of Samsung's smartphones and tablets. If Apple were to earn a strong victory against Samsung, the implications could ripple beyond the South Korean electronics maker and affect Google's other Android partners from around the world.
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Stephen Silver
Christine McKee
Charles Martin
Marko Zivkovic
William Gallagher
Andrew Orr
80 Comments
Apple's genius: in 2005 they were *already* thinking like that. A design way ahead of its time.
Samsung's defense, that the iPhone idea was "stolen from Sony anyway" is was very risky, given that it's a virtual admission that they stole from Apple. If Apple are able to prove otherwise, Samsung may have thrown their case away.
It is incredible that these designs went back to 2005, when phones tended to look like this:
http://img.xcitefun.net/users/2010/07/195382,xcitefun-nokia-6030.jpg
Judging from how f'ed up the patent system is, and if that idiot judge from UK is any indication, there may be little to zero consequence to Samsung. 2 billion is a traffic light ticket even if it sticks. They'll simply copy something else.
Good. The final nail in the coffin for the idiots who keep bringing up the Samsung F700 or LG Prada (both terrible phones) and say Apple "borrowed" from them.
Samsung's defense, that the iPhone idea was "stolen from Sony anyway" is was very risky, given that it's a virtual admission that they stole from Apple. If Apple are able to prove otherwise, Samsung may have thrown their case away.
It is incredible that these designs went back to 2005, when phones tended to look like this:
http://img.xcitefun.net/users/2010/07/195382,xcitefun-nokia-6030.jpg
Samsung can't offer the Sony claims anyway. The judge already ruled against allowing it.