We’ve discussed and shown you plenty of prototype iPhones and iPads from 2006 and earlier here at Redmond Pie recently. These design documents have made their way onto the web thanks to the aggressive Apple vs. Samsung lawsuit that started yesterday; both companies are forced to reveal classified information about their already released or upcoming products in order help the Court make a just decision.
The legal issues between Apple and Samsung show no sign of letting up, and whilst we're growing a little tired of the entire debacle, we're also learning more and more about two of technology's most influential companies.
As well as taking Apple's crown as the king of the smartphone market, Samsung seems to be selling mobile phones in record numbers, having shifted an impressive 50.5 million during Q2 of 2012. This is in spite of industry analysts suggesting smartphone sales in general had hit something of a plateau - seeing its slowest growth rate for three years, and the Korean consumer electronics giant marched through to sell an incredible 566,000 smartphones per day during the last 90 days.
Throughout the constant back and forth legal bickering between Apple and Samsung lately, some interesting, formerly confidential tidbits have leaked out giving us a glimpse at some early internal iPhone prototypes. TheVerge spotted a few of them after scouring through various documents, and they're actually rather interesting. One interesting concept in particular draws a hefty deal of inspiration from one of Sony's designs, and Samsung plans to bring it up to basically tell the court that Apple, with all of their accusations, aren't holy angels in the situation either.
The ongoing patent infringement battle between Cupertino-based Apple and Korean born Samsung is about to come to a full swing next week when the official trial starts in which a judge will attempt to determine who exactly has infringed upon who and what the punishment will be. Apple is heading into the case in confident and jubilant mood thanks to recent judgments ruling that Samsung can't sell specific devices in the United States, but it is worth remembering that this isn't a small case with Apple looking forward to claim $2.5 billion in damages from the world’s current leading smartphone vendor.
For those of us who are on the outside looking in, it appears that the war of the patents between Apple and Samsung isn't likely to come to any kind of mutually beneficial end any time soon. Both companies are exercising their right to accuse the other of infringing on patents which they individually own, claims that have resulted in certain Samsung devices being banned from sale in the United States. Samsung had earlier appealed the decision but found themselves on the wrong end of the result as the hearing judge decided not to overturn the decision in favor of a trial.
Apple and Samsung's court battles are well documented in the blogosphere, and in the very latest, Apple has been granted an EU-wide injunction preventing sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7.
With a quad core processor, 1GB of RAM (2GB in certain variants), a 4.8” Super AMOLED HD display, 8 MP / 2 MP optics and being based on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the Samsung Galaxy S III is one hell of a powerhouse. The general public, it seems, has agreed to this fact as, according to sales figures, the Galaxy S III is selling like ice-cool lemonade on a hot day.
The next phase of the continual trials between Samsung and Apple are expected to kick off in the US on July 30th, but as has been the case previously, no-nonsense Judge Lucy Koh ordered both parties to try and resolve their differences by means of a mediation meeting. According to an article previously accessible over at The Korea Times, Apple head honcho Tim Cook met with Samsung execs Choi Gee-sung and Shin Jong-Kyun on July 16th, but no agreement could be reached.
Earlier today, we informed you of a UK Judge's decision to force Apple into issuing written clarification on both its website and a British newspaper, stating rival Samsung did not copy design features of its iPad in making the Samsung Galaxy Tab. In a rather predictable next move, the Cupertino company has almost immediately appealed against the ruling, and Apple's case will be heard by the court of appeal.
