Apple sues Samsung: a complete lawsuit analysis
Apple sued Samsung yesterday, the latest in a long line of IP lawsuits against Android device manufacturers. (See: Apple v. HTC, Apple v. Motorola, Microsoft v. Motorola, Microsoft v. Barnes & Noble.) The case is remarkable for several reasons, not least because Samsung is one of Apple’s critical component suppliers: the Korean giant manufactures everything from DRAM and SSDs for MacBook Pros to the A4 and A5 processors in the iPhone, iPod touch, Apple TV, and iPad. That relationship doesn’t seem to have softened Apple’s tone; the company’s complaint bluntly says “Instead of pursuing independent product development, Samsung has chosen to slavishly copy Apple’s innovative technology, distinctive user interfaces, and elegant and distinctive product and packaging design, in violation of Apple’s valuable intellectual property rights.” Oh boy.
The immediate takeaway is exactly as Florian Mueller tweeted: Apple isn’t afraid to sue anyone when it comes to protecting its IP. You might also surmise that Apple demanded Samsung stop infringing its IP or pay a royalty and Samsung refused; a filed complaint is generally just evidence that more cordial negotiations failed. But that’s the easy reaction to the simple fact of Apple suing Samsung. The real dirt is in the complaint itself, which was filed on the 15th and made public today. It’s actually quite interesting, both because of the claims themselves and their structure — this lawsuit is as much about TouchWiz and Samsung’s penchant for lifting design elements as it is about the core of Android. We’ve got a copy, which you can download right here — grab it and follow along after the break.
LG G-Slate review
It looks like tablet season is getting started early. LG’s G-Slate is having its T-Mobile coming out party on the same day that RIM’s PlayBook is set to slide into the hands of consumers, making for tough decisions for some. The device — powered by Android’s latest incarnation, Honeycomb — is the first in a slew of me-too devices that follow in the spirit of Google’s first stab at this game, the Xoom. Like the Xoom, this slate runs a stock build of the OS, has the same Tegra 2 CPU inside, and features both a front- and rear-facing camera. While the Xoom is available on Verizon here in the States (for now), the G-Slate is a GSM device sporting T-Mobile’s “4G” HSPA+ service. Unlike any tablet that I’ve seen, LG has slapped a 3D camera on the backside of this device, meaning that you’ll be able to shoot and show off your own multi-dimensional videos (with the included red and blue glasses, that is). Following in the footsteps of its other Android tablet brethren, however, T-Mobile requires that you buy the G-Slate on contract and also file for a $100 mail-in rebate, meaning that you’ll lay down a cool $629.99 before you walk out of store with this device. So, is the next Android tablet actually worth your cash? Can the addition of a 3D camera make this wow consumers? Or this another tablet with a case of The Sames — a rounded corner clone in search of an audience? Those answers are just beyond the break… in my full review!
HP, here’s how you can win in mobile
On Sunday, PreCentral published an interesting rumor piece based on a leaked slide from HP. According to the story, the company has plans to include a “music syncing solution” with the forthcoming TouchPad tablet that will allow users to remotely store and sync music in the cloud — something like Amazon’s new Cloud Drive service, but with a webOS front-end. While this may sound like a great solution to combat Apple’s iTunes dominance, I think it’s the wrong move for HP and its mobile strategy (if it is, indeed, true). I believe the real opportunity lies in the webOS’ Synergy, and how that technology might be employed across a wide range of cloud sync services.
LG’s Optimus One is a short-term conquest, long-term tragedy
With AT&T’s announcement of the Thrive and Phoenix, LG has pulled off the superfecta: launching materially the same device on all four national US carriers, a feat so rare that I’m pretty sure you can count its occurrences on one hand (in the smartphone era, at least).
The root model — the phone on which all of these launches are based — is the Optimus One, a solid midrange Android device that’s been met with positive reviews and generally happy customers since its launch last year. For LG, it was a global launch in every sense of the word; you can find variants of the Optimus One on almost every continent. Problem is, not a single one of these American phones is called the Optimus One. In fact, say “Optimus One” to your average LG Vortex owner, and you’ll get nothing more than a blank stare in return. LG’s somehow managed to take one of the great feats in the smartphone industry — the digital equivalent of a grand slam — and squander most of the positive impact it could’ve had on the company’s brand perception.
Sidekick 4G preview
So we’ve got our hands on a production version of the next member of the Sidekick family… the Sidekick 4G. We’re going to be doing a review on it shortly, but I thought I would share a few photos and very early impressions.
This is my next…
You may — or may not have — noticed that there has been a slight bit of URL flip-flopping over the past 24 hours between this site and thisismynextpodcast.com, and I’d like to take a moment to explain.
Hopefully you already know the thrilling backstory of how some of your favorite (we hope!) writers from Engadget have moved on to start an exciting new site and media partnership with SB Nation (if not, read my post here). Originally, our plan was to keep covering news — the really notable and interesting bits at least — on our personal blogs. But it quickly became obvious to the team that that didn’t make a whole lot of sense, since it meant that people had to hunt around for content when we could give them a single, easily accessible place to find it.
So, huzzah! From this point on, when Chris or Joanna or Ross or Paul or Nilay or anyone else we like has something interesting to say or talk about in the world of tech, it will appear here, on thisismynext.com. Until, of course, we launch our real, full site. And that’s going to be so much more than just a blog.
Feel free to bookmark us or do whatever it is you do when you like a site and want to keep reading it, and definitely sign up for forthcoming info on our next big thing right here — because we’re sure you won’t want to miss the news.
BlackBerry PlayBook review
To say that the BlackBerry PlayBook — and a review of the PlayBook — is something of an anticipated event would be an understatement. From the first moment the tech community caught wind (and sight) of Research In Motion’s first foray into the tablet world, everyone seems to be on pins and needles. It’s not just that another company is making a charge at Apple’s iPad — it’s also that RIM has been in something of a bind lately. The once-unassailable company has watched marketshare slinking away in the direction of iOS and Android, due at least in part to a current crop of devices and new OS which leave much to be desired. But RIM hasn’t been sitting still, either; the Canadian phone-maker has been snapping up software companies like QNX and the impressive UI team of TAT, all in service of supercharging the next lifecycle of BlackBerry products. And the PlayBook is the… ahem, fruits of those labors.
As RIM’s first tablet, but also the first of its products to tout a wholly different OS and underlying architecture, the PlayBook might symbolize the company’s rebirth into the world of the now — a world where just being first doesn’t mean you’re the best (or best loved). So is the 7-inch slate all its cracked up to be? Is this the moment where RIM saves itself? Or, is the PlayBook too little, too late? All those questions — and more — will be answered in my full review… after the break!
Steve and Eric’s multitouch showdown
So Steven Levy’s new book In the Plex has a story about Steve Jobs seeing pinch-to-zoom in Android 1.0 and basically ending what had been a very positive relationship between Apple and Google. It’s a juicy story, but one that seems just a bit off to me, so I wrote up a post on my personal blog with all the unanswered questions. It’s crazy to think that we tracked the Android multitouch story so closely for so long and now it’s totally off the radar — I’d love to know what actually happened behind the scenes.
HTC Sensation 4G hands-on
Chris and Nilay just checked out HTC’s new Sensation 4G for T-Mobile USA this week, an Android-powered monster with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor provided by Qualcomm (there’s a European variant announced today, too — no excruciating transatlantic wait like back in the EVO 4G / Desire HD days).
Read Chris’ post here!
Intel details Cedar Trail Atoms, but are netbooks even relevant?
Joanna scored some early details on Intel’s next-generation Cedar Trail Atom processors, and they seem like a solid update: WiDi and Intel Wireless music will be making their way to netbooks in this generation, as will some easier file-syncing features. Intel’s also promising a boost in performance, 1080p / Blu-ray playback, and lower power and heat that will allow for thinner fanless netbook designs. But as we’ve been wondering for so long, the real question is whether or not netbooks are even still relevant — AMD Fusion machines are nearly as cheap and offer far more power, and the low-end of the market is being eaten by the iPad. Joanna’s got some thoughts on that and an interview with Intel’s Bill Kircos over on her personal blog, go check it.