Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Epic fail: Samsung’s own lawyers can’t tell a Galaxy Tab 10.1 from an iPad

Jeffrey Van Camp
By
samsung-galaxy-tab-101-vs-ipad-2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Right or wrong, Apple is kicking Samsung’s butt about its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets. The product has been attacked all over the world and Apple has made significant gains in Australia, Europe, and now the United States as well. U.S. district judge Lucy Koh has ruled that Samsung’s tablets infringe on Apple patents. The product won’t be banned in the States, but it means more hassles for Samsung. Worse, the company’s lawyers made a huge blunder in court. 

Reuters reports that at one point during the hearing, Koh held both an iPad and a Galaxy Tab 10.1 above her head and asked Samsung’s lawyers if they could tell which was which at a distance of only 10 feet. 

“Not at this distance your honor,” said Kathleen Sullivan, a Samsung attorney that may need to get her eyes checked. 

Related

The judge asked the question again, this time of the entire Samsung legal team. “Can any of Samsung’s lawyers tell me which one is Samsung and which one is Apple?” she asked. After a moment or two, one of the team got the right answer. 

“It took a long time to make that distinction,” Koh said.

I hate to say it, but there are enough distinguishing features between the iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to pick them apart at 10 feet, especially if you’re a Samsung lawyer, who should be intimately familiar with the two devices. We don’t know what angle they were held up at, but if the screens were visible, then the iPad Home button would be a giveaway, as would the Samsung logo on the Tab. In addition, the Galaxy Tab is thinner and longer because it has a widescreen while the iPad has a 4:3 screen. The back colors of the tablets are also different and the iPad has a tapered edge while the Galaxy Tab has a rounded edge. Then, of course, there’s the buttons. The power button and volume keys on the iPad 2 are dark in color, different in placement and color than the silver Galaxy Tab buttons. The rear camera is also in a different place completely–upper left when in vertical orientation on the iPad and top center landscape on the Galaxy Tab. From what I remember, the Galaxy Tab doesn’t even have a screen lock button, so that’s a giveaway right there, if it’s visible. 

At this point, we wouldn’t be surprised if the judge was holding up a white iPad. How can Samsung’s lawyers have so much trouble picking out their own product at a negligible distance? Was the light blinding? Do they all suffer from intense near-sightedness? What’s the deal?

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jeffrey Van Camp
Jeffrey Van Camp
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
How to delete your Spotify account on desktop and mobile
An iPhone with the Stats for Spotify screen on it being held in a hand.

Spotify is home to a bountiful trove of music. With over 615 million users connected to the platform, it’s no wonder it’s one of the biggest music-streaming platforms in town. Still, sometimes we need to put aside a little extra pocket change every month. And one of the first things to go are monthly subscriptions. We know it stinks, but this doesn’t mean your Spotify account needs to disappear forever.

Read more
The best tablets in 2024: top 11 tablets you can buy now
Disney+ app on the iPad Air 5.

As much as we love having the best smartphones in our pockets, there are times when those small screens don't cut it and we just need a larger display. That's when you turn to a tablet, which is great for being productive on the go and can be a awesome way to unwind and relax too. While the tablet market really took off after the iPad, it has grown to be quite diverse with a huge variety of products — from great budget options to powerhouses for professionals.

We've tried out a lot of tablets here at Digital Trends, from the workhorses for pros to tablets that are made for kids and even seniors -- there's a tablet for every person and every budget. For most people, though, we think Apple's iPad Air is the best overall tablet — especially if you're already invested in the Apple ecosystem. But if you're not an Apple user, that's fine too; there are plenty of other great options that you'll find in this roundup.

Read more
How to delete a file from Google Drive on desktop and mobile
Google Drive in Chrome on a MacBook.

Google Drive is an excellent cloud storage solution that can be accessed from numerous devices. Whether you do most of your Google Drive uploading or downloading from a PC, Chromebook, or mobile device, there’s going to come a time when you’ll need to delete a file (or two). Fortunately, the deletion process couldn’t be more straightforward. We’ve also put together this helpful guide to show you how to trash your Drive content a couple of different ways.

Read more