Beautifully Different Calling 1-051-855-000: Jury finds Samsung in violation of Apple patents.

For the past few years, Samsung has done a fantastic job evolving and adapting – seeing what’s popular and going with that flow. There are plenty of lessons that all manufacturers could learn, especially Nokia. Being swift to adapt. Failure to adapt, failure to thrive.

The introduction of the iPhone saw Samsung’s best move yet, to reproduce the iPhone itself with SGS, SGSII and Ace. Essentially the ‘poor man’s iPhone’. Why not? People were interested in iPhone and Samsung offered consumers a chance to own one that was less expensive, and perhaps did a few extra things the original didn’t. They’d still have the look and feel of the iPhone – an important criteria for people to pay attention to their products.

Samsung’s adaptations were perhaps too quick, and too similar. Instead of taking the longer route with their own design, they took something that was already popular, cloned it and put their name on it. Well pretty much. It kinda felt like they were cheating and getting away with it. It was especially odd since Samsung could definitely make nice looking phones on their own. But it wasn’t about that. It was about getting popular ASAP.

Today, Apple have been awarded over 1 billion dollars ($1,051,855,000) in damages for the Samsung vs Apple drama, which it seems sides with Apple’s claims. Earlier this week we heard how Apple used Nokia to showcase the possibility of producing phone designs that were not iPhoney to the detriment of Samsung.

The damage is already done, and Samsung has what they wanted. Success from riding iCoattails (perhaps the same could be said of Apple infringing Nokia patents which they settled and paid Nokia for?). What’s a billion dollars to a giant like Samsung? The money means even less to Apple.

What’s the significance for Nokia in all of this? Perhaps even more recognition for Nokia designs and designers, the ones who strived to recapture praises from the media for the sleek N9/Lumia?

Harder time for Android (though I don’t quite see them being TOO affected by this)? Some outlets have mentioned a possible ban on Samsung products, which would go very well for Apple but also Nokia. Whilst Nokia was shaken up by iPhone, they could have weathered it with their own strategic responses were it not for the unanticipated march of Sammy Droids.

Perhaps more attention for WP?

Perhaps nothing. Or perhaps they should worry that Samsung will start copying Nokia N9/Lumia (heck they copied those Lumia taxis no? :P). Good thing that Nokia’s patenting those designs, eh?

As much as some people might find the same rounded cornered rectangle boring, it’s an iconic design that Apple will stick with and keep ‘refining’. Although folks may now be more weary on how they copy Apple, Nokia would do well to keep improving on that sleek N9/Lumia design. Stick with a design that works, become synonymous for that design, change it up a little but not too much for people to forget that design they love. Sure go ahead and make other phone designs, but keep the heritage alive.

More details over at TheVerge:

http://live.theverge.com/apple-samsung-verdict-live/

BBC Quotes:

“Apple’s point was that it was possible to create an experience that doesn’t look like its designs and only Nokia and RIM Blackberry are really doing that right now.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19377261

BGR reckons going with a completely different UI might have saved Nokia from some grief.

It just might be that Nokia’s decision to go with a completely new UI look and feel for its Lumia range saved it from a lot of grief. Nokia cut a deal with Apple long ahead of the Samsung trial – and it now seems that the result of this trial could have put Nokia into a serious disadvantage had the company chosen to drag the process on. It just might be that the jury may have handed Nokia a substantial strategic smartphone advantage.

www.bgr.com/2012/08/24/apple-lawsuit-wins-triumph-samsung-lost-is-intoxicating/

Beautifully Different.

Here’s TheVerge explaining what this means:

Perhaps most importantly, the jury ruled that many of Samsung’s infringements were “willful” — that is, the company deliberately copied Apple’s patents. That’s how they got to that $1.051 billion damage award; they punished Samsung for doing it on purpose

http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/24/3266571/apple-decisively-wins-samsung-trial-what-it-means

Category: Nokia