Samsung has filed a patent application that uses the likeness of a very familiar rival product.
Samsung and Apple have a great deal of history when it comes to getting litigious over patent disputes. Samsung, in particular, has often been hauled up over some ‘familiar’ smartphone designs.
Those issues rumble on, though they don’t appear to have been as prominent in recent times. Still, it seems as if Samsung just can’t help itself.
A recent patent application from the Korean manufacturer features design drawings of what is very clearly the Apple Watch. You can see the device’s distinctive shape and heart-rate monitor, as well as its crown and side button.
Related: Samsung Gear S2 vs Apple Watch
The patent application itself concerns a format for swapping bands on smartwatches. Quite why the Apple Watch has been used instead of one of Samsung’s own devices, like the Samsung Gear S2, we have no idea. Especially as Samsung actually had a smartwatch on the market before Apple.
As Business Insider points out, whatever the reason behind the use of these images what it seems to suggest is that Samsung is gaining inspiration from its key competitor. Hardly astounding news, of course, but it’s something else to parade the fact so blatantly.
Of course, with Apple currently owning 72 percent of the smartwatch market, and Samsung just 7 percent, Samsung clearly has much to learn from Apple on this front.
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What do you think of Samsung using Apple’s imagery so blatantly? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.