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Samsung v. Apple Trial Documents Reveal Early iPhone and iPad Prototypes

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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The plethora of court cases between Apple and other companies over trademarks, design decisions, and patents have only occasionally offered anything of interest to the average observer. Today, however, The Verge has dug up a treasure trove of images of early iPhone and iPad prototypes.

NewImage30.png



Early designs include an eight-sided iPhone with diagonal corners, early Sony-inspired designs, and another model that has the same aluminum-based design as the old iPod Mini.
Of particular note are multiple iterations of the iPad featuring different types of kickstands, what appears to be a 16:9 model with wide handles on either side, and an eight-sided iPhone with diagonal corners. Also of interest is a slim, sleek iPhone prototype labeled the N90. The N90 was widely believed to be the codename for the iPhone 4, and while this narrow device definitely bear some aesthetic similarities to Apple's glass-and-metal design, this variant appears to feature a much smaller screen.
Click to expand...
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One Sony-inspired design from 2006, which bears a "JONY" logo in honor of Apple chief designer Jonathan Ive, looks strikingly similar to the iPhone 4 that debuted years later.

The Verge has a number of other images scattered across two different posts. They're worth a look.

Article Link: Samsung v. Apple Trial Documents Reveal Early iPhone and iPad Prototypes
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/07/26/samsung-v-apple-trial-documents-reveal-early-iphone-and-ipad-prototypes/
iAppl3Fan

iAppl3Fan

macrumors 6502a
Sep 8, 2011
796
23
Those look hideous. I'm glad they didn't make the cut otherwise I may not have owned the original one....lol
 
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barberio

macrumors regular
Oct 26, 2009
104
0
But "The iphone design is obvious!", so why on earth are there all these alternative design prototypes... I mean, it's not like they took a long time on working out the exact way a phone like this should look, because that would mean the design patent might be a valid use of the patent system. :rolleyes:
 
N

nickn

macrumors 6502
Jun 17, 2011
386
0
So even when Apple blatantly copies Sony, that is all fine and dandy, but when Sammy was apparently "inspired" by Apple, a court case is immediately started... Ok, then....
 
street.cory

street.cory

macrumors 6502
Oct 13, 2009
379
168
Don't Go!

I hope Jony Ive doesn't go anywhere. I've thoroughly enjoyed his designs throughout the years.
 
harley3k

harley3k

macrumors 6502
Feb 6, 2008
318
106
The one on the right looks like the new Nokia...

Er I guess the new Nokia looks like the old iPod Mini.

Never noticed that before.
 
ivladster

ivladster

macrumors 6502
Jun 29, 2007
480
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Washington DC
nickn said:
So even when Apple blatantly copies Sony, that is all fine and dandy, but when Sammy was apparently "inspired" by Apple, a court case is immediately started... Ok, then....
Click to expand...

Copies Sony? Did you even read the article. It was Apple designer who made that, because they wanted to see what Sony phone might look like back in 2006. It was all part of research. It was inspired by Sony's design ethics, but that's not Sony's product. Read!
 
B

barberio

macrumors regular
Oct 26, 2009
104
0
nickn said:
So even when Apple blatantly copies Sony, that is all fine and dandy, but when Sammy was apparently "inspired" by Apple, a court case is immediately started... Ok, then....
Click to expand...

Except the 'Sony' prototype wasn't a copy of any existing Sony-Ericson phone or product. It just took some hints about chrome and black plastic. And I also note that early design was one where they hadn't yet consolidated all front facing buttons into a single home button. It's basically a design excersize of identifying what a touch screen phone of some kind might look like. And that it does not imediately have all the design features of the iPhone is suggestive that those features are non-obvious and worthy of protected design patents and trademarks.
 
ivladster

ivladster

macrumors 6502
Jun 29, 2007
480
9
Washington DC
Reach9 said:
Waiting to see if Sony sues Apple for using their logo!
Click to expand...

It's an internal court document, why would Sony sue?
People put apple logo all over the place, it doesn't mean Apple has to sue them all. Only when people try to mimic and fool people into thinking it's Apple design when its not, like Samsung.
 
ivladster

ivladster

macrumors 6502
Jun 29, 2007
480
9
Washington DC
barberio said:
Except the 'Sony' prototype wasn't a copy of any existing Sony-Ericson phone or product. It just took some hints about chrome and black plastic. And I also note that early design was one where they hadn't yet consolidated all front facing buttons into a single home button. It's basically a design excersize of identifying what a touch screen phone of some kind might look like. And that it does not imediately have all the design features of the iPhone is suggestive that those features are non-obvious and worthy of protected design patents and trademarks.
Click to expand...

Which makes a great argument in the court.
 
pgiguere1

pgiguere1

macrumors 68020
May 28, 2009
2,167
1,200
Montreal, Canada
nickn said:
So even when Apple blatantly copies Sony, that is all fine and dandy, but when Sammy was apparently "inspired" by Apple, a court case is immediately started... Ok, then....
Click to expand...

"Blatantly copies"?

Did you read the article?

The design was made by Apple, not Sony, they just decided to put a Sony logo on the concept image to imagine what a nice looking Sony phone would look like. It was just Jony Ive having a little fun, those were not meant to be publicly shown originally.

Sony smartphones from 2006 looked like this:

gsmarena_ofic002.jpg
 
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