Apple exec slams Samsung for copying the iPhone poorly!

In a new documentary video, an Apple exec hits the South Korean tech giant for "ripping off" iPhone's technology and simply putting a bigger screen.

File photo: iPhone 13 Pro and Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

A grudge stemming from a seven-year patent feud?

In a Wall Street Journal retrospective on 15 years of the iPhone, Apple's Marketing Director Greg Joswiak said that Samsung "created a poor copy" of the iPhone, ripping off the company's technology.

The 21-minute documentary short was published to celebrate the 15 years of the iPhone, going over how the Cupertino giant played a huge role in inventing the modern smartphone as we know it today.

On the other hand, it also pointed out that Apple isn't the only player on the market since Android is arguably the prevailing operating system worldwide. Allegedly, the Samsung Galaxy S2 also made a big contribution since it brought Android to the masses as one of the best-sellers during that time.

When Joswiak was asked how big of a factor Samsung and Android were for the creation of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus as they hit the market with their big phones, he responded:

[Samsung was] annoying. And they were annoying because, as you know, they ripped off our technology. They took the innovations that we had created and created a poor copy of it, and just put a bigger screen around it. So, yeah, we were none too pleased. 

The marketing director is likely pertaining to the seven-year legal patent infringement between the two tech firms. Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S4 with a 5-inch display in early 2013, at a time when the iPhone 5 had a 4-inch display. 

The Cupertino giant eventually launched its first larger smartphones with the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus in 2014, and the phones became a huge hit and went on to be among the best-selling iPhone models ever.

Apple sued Samsung in 2011 for patent infringement, asserting that Samsung replicated the iPhone's design with its own Galaxy line of smartphones. The court initially awarded  Apple around USD 1 billion in damages, but the amount was reduced to USD 539M in the succeeding retrial. 

In 2018, Apple finally accepted the settlement with Samsung and declared in a press release,

We believe deeply in the value of design, and our teams work tirelessly to create innovative products that delight our customers. This case has always been about more than money. Apple ignited the smartphone revolution with iPhone and it is a fact that Samsung blatantly copied our design. It is important that we continue to protect the hard work and innovation of so many people at Apple. We're grateful to the jury for their service and pleased they agree that Samsung should pay for copying our products.

Samsung chose not to comment on its rival's statement.

You may watch the full documentary titled "The iPhone Baby: How 15 Years Shaped a Generation" on The Wall Street Journal's website. 

Via: Android Authority, The Verge