Apple and Samsung have battled in court over the design of a number of Samsung’s Galaxy products, which Apple believes were “slavishly” copied from the iPhone and iPad. However, the Korean company’s chief of mobile design maintains that the Galaxy is “original from the beginning,” and believes that one day, he will match Jony Ive by designing a truly iconic product.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Lee Minhyouk, Samsung Mobile’s vice president of design dismissed claims that the Galaxy lineup copies Apple’s devices, and insists that they are all his own work:
I’ve made thousands of sketches and hundreds of prototype products (for the Galaxy). Does that mean I was putting on a mock show for so long, pretending to be designing?
As a designer, there’s an issue of dignity. (The Galaxy) is original from the beginning, and I’m the one who made it. It’s a totally different product with a different design language and different technology infused.
Apple, of course, would disagree. The Cupertino company has previously branded Samsung a “copyist,” whose products “blatantly imitate” its iPhone and iPad. In a previous lawsuit, Apple said Samsung’s products “slavishly copy Apple’s innovative technology, distinctive user interfaces, and elegant and distinctive product and packaging design.”
The Chicago Tribune’s report notes that Samsung has earned the name the “fast executioner,” thanks to its ability to be first to market with a copycat product shortly after one of its rivals releases something new.
However, Minhyouk is confident that one day, he and Samsung will create a product that will match one of Jony Ive’s iconic creations:
I might not be at (Ive’s) level yet, but I believe Samsung will produce such iconic products one day. It’s not just effort that makes it possible for a new product to be a massive hit. It also has to be timely, and technology should be ready to make a certain design a reality.
[via SlashGear]
