If the iPhone 4 design is so amazing, why does it look like my year old Vizio? ...

[TennisandMusic]

So got my iPhone 4 a few days ago. Pretty nice. Girlfriend makes a funny comment: "Hey that looks like your Vizio."

A little background on the Vizio. It's a cheap 32" 1080p tv that I got from Costco. I do not really watch tv, nor have a cable service, as I think that stuff is a giant colossal waste of time. I use it for select movies and games on occasion. Now...this is considered a cheap low level brand for televisions and yet Apple is considered the paramount of design. Does Apple get a pass because of their status? To people look down on Vizio because of price? Does Jony Ive get ideas while shopping at Costco? ...well photographic evidence below. Note, the photo was taken with the iPhone 4

Thoughts?

 

[Bobajobbob]

It actually looks almost identical to my 3 year old LG Prada phone on the outside. Until you turn it on of course.

 

[lionqueen]

It's hard to tell when you only post a sliver of a picture.

 

[ziggyonice]

Because your iPhone is not the same as your television.

That's like saying, "If Wheel of Fortune is such a cool show, why does the wheel look like the hubcaps on my car?"

Two TOTALLY different things.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

That's funny.

 

[TennisandMusic]

It's hard to tell when you only post a sliver of a picture.

That's because the side of one resembles the side of the other.

I hope people realize that I am posting this in a light hearted fashion.

 

[Compile 'em all]

Would love to see other phones made out of a steel band and two sheets of glass.

 

[kernkraft]

It's the nature of industrial design. You think it looks cool and new but the chances are that somebody already tried it in the last 70 years. I bet that if we really looked, we could come up with something similar from decades ago. Both toughened glass and aluminium have been around for a while, rounding things is also a natural thing to do.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Take a picture of it flat on its side and post it claiming you've found a prototype iPhone 4 with 8 volume buttons. I bet someone will fall for it

 

[Fliesen]

if the Nintendo DSlite design is so amazing, why does it look like the 5 year older iBook G3.

it's a screen with a metal band around ... oh and it has buttons ... woopdeedoo...

i dig that your gf calls the TV by its name though and not just "your TV"

 

[Carniphage]

So got my iPhone 4 a few days ago. Pretty nice. Girlfriend makes a funny comment: "Hey that looks like your Vizio."
Thoughts?

There's more to design than appearance. The iPhone4 is based on design principles that go back to Deiter Rams at Braun. Lots of products draw from those design principles because the embody the "commandments" of great design.

But its worth pointing out that the TV is made from plastic and plastic sprayed with silver paint. (Or perhaps an aluminium veneer) - so it is a surface thing.

The phone is glass and stainless-steel - with the steel acting as the main structural component.

iPhone4 is a remarkably radical design for a mass consumer product.

Of course, being radical is a bit risky!.

C.

 

[ineel]

Steve: Okay the launch of the phone is in 2 months! I want you to get me a design by tomorrow!
Engineer: yes sire. (goes home and watches some tv on his vizio because steve doesn't pay well) Hmm Ill show steve! i will inadvertently make this phone look nice but work like a cheapo. Whats this? i will copy my tv's design an make it all glass with a steel band! (goes back to 1 infinite loop the next day)
Steve: you better have a new design or im going to to make you burn with my eyese!
Engineer: Here i have a design! glass on front and back with a steel band
Steve: perfect, that will attract fools to stand outside my stores.
Engineer: hmm if i attach the antennae to the band and make a dead spot when you use your left hand ill have my revenge on steve! muhahahahha. Thank god he is left handed. Whos the fool now you pancreatic cancerous zombie! (goes to steve) How about we make the band an anteennae since our last 3 phones don't get better recption than 3 bars.
Steve: good thinking im going to be a genious and those idiots at htc and motorola are in for a beating!
Engineer: muahhahhahahhaha
Steve: muahahhahahhahaha
Bill Gates: windows phone 7 ftw!!!

 

[Julien]

... "Hey that looks like your Vizio."...

Thoughts?

....but like an iPad isn't a Vizio just a giant iPhone?

 

[itsmemuffins]

Steve: Okay the launch of the phone is in 2 months! I want you to get me a design by tomorrow!
Engineer: yes sire. (goes home and watches some tv on his vizio because steve doesn't pay well) Hmm Ill show steve! i will inadvertently make this phone look nice but work like a cheapo. Whats this? i will copy my tv's design an make it all glass with a steel band! (goes back to 1 infinite loop the next day)
Steve: you better have a new design or im going to to make you burn with my eyese!
Engineer: Here i have a design! glass on front and back with a steel band
Steve: perfect, that will attract fools to stand outside my stores.
Engineer: hmm if i attach the antennae to the band and make a dead spot when you use your left hand ill have my revenge on steve! muhahahahha. Thank god he is left handed. Whos the fool now you pancreatic cancerous zombie! (goes to steve) How about we make the band an anteennae since our last 3 phones don't get better recption than 3 bars.
Steve: good thinking im going to be a genious and those idiots at htc and motorola are in for a beating!
Engineer: muahhahhahahhaha
Steve: muahahhahahhahaha
Bill Gates: windows phone 7 ftw!!!

I bet that's exactly how it went.