Nokia to sue HTC over Lumia copies? Damn right!
Curved front glass, black front frame against a colourful polycarbonate border and back. You might say that’s the Nokia N9 or the Nokia Lumia range. Whilst most of the market stuck with their iPhone clones *sam*cough* Nokia tried something different, to which even Apple used a Lumia to signify a unique, non Apple design (when attacking the GalaxyiPhone).
Bright colour border, tapered corners (inspired Moto droid), design evolution prior to N9/Lumia.
This design was striking, award winning, and turning heads of fans and even Nokia naysayers. It’s no surprise that we’d see other manufacturers inspired to follow this route. Amazingly, it’s not Samsung. Probably too busy stalking Apple (joke!). It’s HTC. Despite HTC’s WP7.5 specs being technically higher than Lumia, Lumia’s design and build attracted consumers away from HTC’s Droid slapped with WP phones.
Prior to Nokia N9/Lumia, HTC devices have had their standard black/grey designs. But now the reaction of many blogs and tech fans is the strange resemblance of HTC’s new WP8 devices to Nokias. Polycarbonate? Check. Curved screen? Check. Bright colours? Check. We should have seen it since the One X was thought to have been N9 inspired. But to be fair on HTC, One X was different enough.
The choice word popular in youtube comments was ‘ripp off’. Whilst it’s ok to take design cues, what irks me is how HTC’s designers dare say they’ve come up with a completely new unique design.
PS. Those saying they look alike because it’s Windows Phone – erm, HTC made WP before and after Nokia and until 8X/8S did not resemble Lumia. Should such a design be so obvious and natural, why weren’t HTC making Lumia looking phones before?
Daring new designs of Lumia has NOTHING to do with Microsoft (or Windows Phone). That is Nokia through and through, trying to cut it through against the boring, safe competition. In a way, it’s nice to see Nokia setting trends, with HTC’s “copy” reinforcing the design of the original (which also forces Nokia to continue innovating). But it’s also annoying that HTC just took a shortcut from the designs and risks Nokia took.
Even when the HTC was leaked as the Accord, the reactions was that it was a Lumia clone.
Quite rightly, Nokia then is suing HTC.
The reports are saying Nokia is preparing to get HTC 8X banned in various parts of the world from going on sale when it will launch in November. Nokia has said in reports that the front-face of HTC 8X looks identically same as of the Lumia 820 followed by side-curves of the phone body.
http://www.pc-tablet.com/6648-nokia-sue-htc-8x-windows-phone-8-smartphone-design-copied-lumia-820/
Source: pc-tablet.com
Cheers Muerte for the tip!
Below is a supposed tablet from HTC. Yet another ‘unique’ design.
Category: Nokia
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Sites That Link to this Post
- Nokia goes Apple - oder wie man auf Design klagen kann. | September 24, 2012
- Will Nokia Sue HTC? I doubt it | Siliconia.Nokia | September 24, 2012
- Well what do you know, Nokia sues HTC over 8x design - Windows Phone Forums at wpcentral.com | September 24, 2012
- Plainte: Nokia attaquerait HTC pour copie des Lumia? | Nokia Day | September 25, 2012
- Nokia navodno sprema tužbu protiv HTC-a za kopiranje dizajna?! | NokiaMob | September 25, 2012
- HTC Lumia 8X Sample pics and videos – “if you’re a photo bug, the 920 appears to be the clear winner.” : My Nokia Blog | September 27, 2012
- Nokia to sue HTC over Lumia copies? Damn right! : My Nokia Blog | Mob Tech Blog | September 27, 2012
I have seen their design video and the staff kept on emphasising on how the Live tiles and UI inspired the design for the 8X/S. Looks nearly similar to the N9/Lumia 800 albeit thinner, pale colours, an FFC to the left and a colourful speaker grille.
Then again, the R&D chart that was posted here months ago did point out that HTC’s budget is the lowest among the other OEMs and Nokia is at the top, so no surprise at HTC’s design here. Also not surprised why Nokia is taking legal action against them. Hopefully Microsoft can negotiate a truce between them or [CEO Peter] Chou relent and make modifications to their 8X/S just like what they did with their Android phones to avoid the full brunt of Apple’s legal team and a ban.
this suing over design thing is stupid.. i can’t believe nokia learning all the bad things about apple.
besides 8x looks different enough from lumias to be mistaken as the same
What is the definition of Copycat ??
HTC copy Nokia Lumia ??
Copy the “colour” ? The “Square Touch Screen” ? The “Square Look”? or the “WP8″ look ? or just copy the “similar feeling” look ???
All of you must think rationally for today touch-screen smartphone standard design. What can you expect more from standard square LCD 16×9 screen, some standard button,and square body ?? What you expect from “WP8 looks” screen ??
Nokia, please do not end up stupidly suing HTC because they copy “colour” !!!!
In an unrelated news, Peter Chou announced a major rebranding exercise for HTC. Their corporate logo will now sport a dark blue color replacing their iconic green. The tagline Quietly Brilliant has also been replaced by the more awesome sounding Connecting You. In unveiling their new logo and tagline, Chou explained that HTC derives its inspiration from the deep blue seas surrounding Taiwan and the role played by mobile devices in helping connect people from the island with the rest if the world.
the htc 8x was announced barely two weeks after the 820 that’s not enaugh time to copy. don’t say it looks like the n9/800/900 because it doesn’t. same thing for the colours, we firstly saw the purple and yellow in the 820/920 (again only two weeks before we saw the 8x). that’s really a stupid thing from nokia. and to be honest I prefer the 8x and 8s designs over the 920 and 820.
This is quite telling, people aren’t quite sure if the 8X is supposedly copying the 920 or the 820.
Doesn’t take a genius to notice. It looks like an n9/lumia 800/lumia 920
The iphone and galaxy fiasco is more subtle if not totally untrue but this one seems like a blatant clone. Sigh.
Shameless, that’s all I can say.
“Have To Copy” quietly. Brilliant.
So let me get this straight – Apple has an eternity-long design monopoly on “handheld computers that are black and square-ish”, while Nokia has an eternity-long design monopoly on “handheld computers that are colorful and square-ish”…
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/419187/september-18-2012/tip-wag—apple-samsung-lawsuit—tabloid-clash
What shapes are left? The Motorola Moebius?
Look out for the new trend of hexagonal telephones!