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Xiaomi vice president Hugo Barra, who came to the company from Google, today did an interview with Bloomberg where he once again spoke out in defense against copycat accusations that have been levied against the company.

According to Barra, all of the copycat claims come from a single iPhone 5-style chamfered edge on a Xiaomi device. "Yes, it does look like an iPhone 5 and that chamfered edge, by the way, is present in so many other devices."

minote.jpg
Xiaomi's Mi Note​

He went on to say that the accusations were the result of a bias against Chinese companies. "People couldn't bring themselves to believe a Chinese company actually could be a world innovator, could build amazingly high-quality products."

When asked if the recent Mi Note looks like an iPhone 6 Plus, Barra laughed it off and said "it's white like an iPhone 6 Plus." He said accusations of copying weren't fair, because these days, every smartphone looks like every other smartphone on the market.

I just don't think we can allow a company to take ownership of things that just are how they are, right? I think if you look at what we've designed in the last 12 months you understand how much originality there is in what we do. And to be honest, I think you're going to see a lot more happening the opposite direction, people taking inspiration off what we do.
Over the course of four years, Chinese electronics company Xiaomi has managed to become the world's third largest smartphone distributor, competing with the likes of Lenovo, LG, Samsung, and Apple. Its devices, ranging from smartphones to tablets, have been publicly criticized for heavily borrowing design elements from Apple's iPhones and iPads and adopting marketing materials tactics similar to Apple's.

Xiaomi's copycat antics led Apple chief designer Jony Ive to verbally skewer the company in a 2014 interview, where he famously said "I think it's theft and it's lazy. I don't think it's okay at all," following a statement from Xiaomi vice president Hugo Barra, who had said, "Our designers, our engineers are inspired by great products and by great design out there. And frankly who in today's world isn't?"

At the time, Ive went on to say Xiaomi's devices aren't a form of flattery. "When you're doing something for the first time, like with the iPhone... and you spend 7 or 8 years working on it and then it's copied - I have to be honest, the first thing I think isn't 'oh, that was flattering.' "

mi4ixiaomi.jpg
The iPhone 5c-style Xiaomi Mi 4i​

Xiaomi's latest smartphones are the Mi Note and Mi Note Pro, designed to compete with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but the company has most recently expanded into the home arena, with the Smart Home Kit.

Article Link: Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra Defends Against Copycat Accusations in New Interview
 
A lot of what Hugo Barra said seems to almost contradict itself.

"People couldn't bring themselves to believe a Chinese company actually could be a world innovator, could build amazingly high-quality products."

When asked if the recent Mi Note looks like an iPhone 6 Plus, Barra laughed it off and said "it's white like an iPhone 6 Plus." He said accusations of copying weren't fair, because these days, every smartphone looks like every other smartphone on the market.

Xiaomi has both built products that are high-quality and innovative, yet they look like every other smartphone? He can't have it both ways. The quality and innovation aren't being disputed; the company responsible for the quality and innovation is.
 
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Apple does NOT have any right to dictate how the industry designs their phones. Every Apple fan needs to watch this:


In plain sight you see that Steve Jobs lied about Apple inventing multitouch. They did NOT. Nor did they invent rounded corners, a home button, a wedge shaped laptop or anything aesthetic.
 
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At least they didn't copy the oversize top bezel :)

I love how Mi Note Pro comes in the colours of the 5c! I can't believe that guy can say all that with a straight face...

That being said, I love how Xiaomi went into the smart home kit market. I really thought Apple would have gone this route, not just with an App, but really make the Apple TV the hub of home automation.
 
article with internally conflicting statement said:
At the time, Ive went on to say Xiaomi's devices aren't a form of flattery. "When you're doing something for the first time, like with the iPhone... and you spend 7 or 8 years working on it and then it's copied - I have to be honest, the first thing I think isn't 'oh, that was flattering.' "
Hmmm. Really? No!
 
Apple, that's who.

It isn't just that they shamelessly copy to the point of parody. It's that they're so damn proud of their theft.

There's nothing being stolen here unfortunately. Yes, the designs are similar. But you are not being forced NOT to buy Apple's product.

So why does it matter if you still get to have your iPhone?
 
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Sure... The chamfered edge is the only thing...
Wow...I knew that their designs were "inspired" by Apple's, but I had no idea just how much! This is just shameful. But you know what they say, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Others can copy all they want, but people will know that they're exactly that, copies. Besides, nobody can copy 100% of Apple, no matter how hard they try.
 
Technically, Jobs said that Apple had invented a technology that they call multi-touch. Different implementations exist and the principle behind multi-touch wasn’t new. It comprises lots of patents.

Semantics. Even if I give you the benefit, his claims we're incredibly misleading which basically had, and still has, everyone fooled about what apple actually has invented. Did they invent it? No.

Has Apple actually invented anything?

To answer that question, watch this video:

 
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Is anyone really surprised? Hugo Barra copied the iPhone when he was part of Android at Google and Xiaomi saw how well he copied the iPhone that they scooped him up and set him to work at copying every single thing Apple does from the iPhone to the Apple Store to even Jobs "One More Thing". The guy is a human copy machine.
 



Xiaomi vice president Hugo Barra, who came to the company from Google, today did an interview with Bloomberg where he once again spoke out in defense against copycat accusations that have been levied against the company.

According to Barra, all of the copycat claims come from a single iPhone 5-style chamfered edge on a Xiaomi device. "Yes, it does look like an iPhone 5 and that chamfered edge, by the way, is present in so many other devices."

minote.jpg

Xiaomi's Mi Note

He went on to say that the accusations were the result of a bias against Chinese companies. "People couldn't bring themselves to believe a Chinese company actually could be a world innovator, could build amazingly high-quality products."

When asked if the recent Mi Note looks like an iPhone 6 Plus, Barra laughed it off and said "it's white like an iPhone 6 Plus." He said accusations of copying weren't fair, because these days, every smartphone looks like every other smartphone on the market.

Over the course of four years, Chinese electronics company Xiaomi has managed to become the world's third largest smartphone distributor, competing with the likes of Lenovo, LG, Samsung, and Apple. Its devices, ranging from smartphones to tablets, have been publicly criticized for heavily borrowing design elements from Apple's iPhones and iPads and adopting marketing materials tactics similar to Apple's.

Xiaomi's copycat antics led Apple chief designer Jony Ive to verbally skewer the company in a 2014 interview, where he famously said "I think it's theft and it's lazy. I don't think it's okay at all," following a statement from Xiaomi vice president Hugo Barra, who had said, "Our designers, our engineers are inspired by great products and by great design out there. And frankly who in today's world isn't?"

At the time, Ive went on to say Xiaomi's devices aren't a form of flattery. "When you're doing something for the first time, like with the iPhone... and you spend 7 or 8 years working on it and then it's copied - I have to be honest, the first thing I think isn't 'oh, that was flattering.' "

mi4ixiaomi.jpg

The iPhone 5c-style Xiaomi Mi 4i

Xiaomi's latest smartphones are the Mi Note and Mi Note Pro, designed to compete with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but the company has most recently expanded into the home arena, with the Smart Home Kit.

Article Link: Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra Defends Against Copycat Accusations in New Interview
This sounds unfair to



Xiaomi vice president Hugo Barra, who came to the company from Google, today did an interview with Bloomberg where he once again spoke out in defense against copycat accusations that have been levied against the company.

According to Barra, all of the copycat claims come from a single iPhone 5-style chamfered edge on a Xiaomi device. "Yes, it does look like an iPhone 5 and that chamfered edge, by the way, is present in so many other devices."

minote.jpg

Xiaomi's Mi Note

He went on to say that the accusations were the result of a bias against Chinese companies. "People couldn't bring themselves to believe a Chinese company actually could be a world innovator, could build amazingly high-quality products."

When asked if the recent Mi Note looks like an iPhone 6 Plus, Barra laughed it off and said "it's white like an iPhone 6 Plus." He said accusations of copying weren't fair, because these days, every smartphone looks like every other smartphone on the market.

Over the course of four years, Chinese electronics company Xiaomi has managed to become the world's third largest smartphone distributor, competing with the likes of Lenovo, LG, Samsung, and Apple. Its devices, ranging from smartphones to tablets, have been publicly criticized for heavily borrowing design elements from Apple's iPhones and iPads and adopting marketing materials tactics similar to Apple's.

Xiaomi's copycat antics led Apple chief designer Jony Ive to verbally skewer the company in a 2014 interview, where he famously said "I think it's theft and it's lazy. I don't think it's okay at all," following a statement from Xiaomi vice president Hugo Barra, who had said, "Our designers, our engineers are inspired by great products and by great design out there. And frankly who in today's world isn't?"

At the time, Ive went on to say Xiaomi's devices aren't a form of flattery. "When you're doing something for the first time, like with the iPhone... and you spend 7 or 8 years working on it and then it's copied - I have to be honest, the first thing I think isn't 'oh, that was flattering.' "

mi4ixiaomi.jpg

The iPhone 5c-style Xiaomi Mi 4i

Xiaomi's latest smartphones are the Mi Note and Mi Note Pro, designed to compete with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but the company has most recently expanded into the home arena, with the Smart Home Kit.

Article Link: Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra Defends Against Copycat Accusations in New Interview
This sounds unfair to Xiaomi.............as a side note,Xiaomi is a Chinese word that translates as 'Apple'
 
Apple does NOT have any right to dictate how the industry designs their phones. Every Apple fan needs to watch this:


In plain sight you see that Steve Jobs lied about Apple inventing multitouch. They did NOT.

Did Apple claim that? If so that was wrong of them (and weird, given Steve Jobs publicly condoned "stealing" tech ideas). As for actually copying a technology (paying relevant fees of course), that's fine, that's a good thing. I'm glad Exposé is finally coming to Windows 10, for example. That's a very different thing from ripping off other people's aesthetic designs, effectively copying their art style. Actually, that's not the best way of putting it - in art taking inspiration from somebody else's work and doing your own thing with it is perfectly valid, but this is more like copying their work paint stroke by paint stroke, chord by chord.
 
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