Lenovo KIRFs again with the OPhone UI
By Nilay Patel 
posted Mar 24th 2009 6:33PM
posted Mar 24th 2009 6:33PM
[Via The Raw Feed]
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It actually doesn't look that similar.
You must blind. :P
I personally don't like the iPhone but even I'll admit it looks very much like the new 3.0 iPhone software.
"It actually doesn't look that similar."
Agreed. Go Samsung.
"It actually doesn't look that similar." X2
the only similarity i see are rounded buttons. And that doesn't make something a copy. The buttons aren't even organized in the same fashion.
Yeah, I'm a UI guy and that doesn't look the same. =/
Yeah, you see any touchscreen UI with buttons next to each other must *obviously* be Apple rip-offs. Totally.
You don't see how it's a ripoff of the iPhone interface?
Really?
Do you have vision problems or something? Or have you just not noticed that the other major players in the market are not copying the iPhone? Android doesn't, WM doesn't, Symbian doesn't, even WebOS on the Pre doesn't copy the iPhone interface.
But this sure as hell does. Denying that will earn you a seat on the short bus.
So?
Apple is copying them too.
At least Copy and Paste, MMS, and a whole host of other features that they "ripped off" from existing devices.
And you get PO'd over this still?
Get a life.
You don't understand the differences between the UI on the phone and features on the phone, is that it? Up until you posted, did anybody say anything about the features of the phone?
No, it's a ripoff because it looks almost exactly like the iPhone's UI. It has nothing to do with MMS or anything else. Are you going to reserve yourself a seat on the short bus too? Go ahead, keep denying that it's a copy of the iPhone. All it'll prove is that you're not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
Yeah...like I said:
"And you get PO'd over this still?"
Dont buy it if you cant hold yourself together it its presence.
If Apple wants to sure over icons with rounded corners, which they didnt invent, or a similar usage of fonts, which no ones gives a rip about, then they can go for it.
Hell, do you want us to bomb Beijing over this? You aren't Apple corporate, so you are just moaning over nothing that will cause any harm to you.
Get a life, and open a paper and find more important things to soil yourself over.
Zak, i'm not even going to dignify you with an actual response. just STFU and GTFO.
If you don't see the similarity you should keep an eye on how Microsoft does a very good job of not making their Windows Mobile look like an iPhone. I'm not saying they do a good job with windows mobile but at least for one time they don't want to mimic the iPhone GUI. The GUI of the lenovo oPhone doesn't do any effort not to mimic the iPhone OS. Even the icons are rip offs of the iPhone icons.
iPriest:
i ICONS are ripoffs? haha you are so delusional. the only one that's close is the mail icon. besides, i think the idea of using a white envelope to represent mail is pretty universal, and not new to Apple.
i think iZak's trying to say
APPL INVENTED EVERYTHING WITH ROUNDED CORNERS
Zak you are such a douche! Cant you tell that LAU was trying to make a joke? You can't even describe how its similar... oh wait, you don't have to, cause you'll say:
-the rounded squares (APPLE HAS A PATENT ON GEOMETRY? Besides, the icons are completely different)
-the phone screen (Its ONLY the color that's similar. There are no vertical lines separating the buttons, so the numberpad is different, and the layout is different)
Nowadays in the smartphone industry, things will definitely look similar, and if it doesn't, well, in short, its crap. Accept it. I remember TIME said the iPhone will "make other phones better". That was a FUCKING JOKE because the Lichtenseins cant do anything close without the fanboys screaming "KIRF!!!"
Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one, but no one wants to hear about it. If Engadget keeps this opinion game up, I'm done with them. STFU and just report the news.
Zak:
Don't worry, we won't steal your window seat on the bus.
Okay, so it looks similar to the iPhone interface.
But honestly? So does everything these days. Exactly the same as the hardware.
The problem is, Apple did it 'first', so now everyone is going to scream KIRF whenever anything similar is released.
I agree with a lot of commenters here who say that it really doesn't look much like the iPhone UI... but when it's a device called oPhone, you're just inviting unflattering comparisons.
i don't see what the big deal is. the dialer looks completely different, and the app screen is copied from the iphone just because it uses icons with rounded edges in a grid? it has a search bar on top, making it different. who cares anyway?
How is this copying Apple?
Just because somebody uses numbers and icons does not mean they are copying Apple.
Apple is overhyped, overpriced, and overrated.
shut the hell up sucka.
Why don't you go stick a shuffle up your ass?
He can't...I highly doubt his ass contains an Apple certified chip.
@joe23521
You don't have a problem sticking things in your boyfriend's non-apple certified ass.
Apple copied LG, who copied MS, who copied Palm.
LG copies Samsung....
Actually I find that Samsung copies everyone, but they do a good job at it.
Look up the IBM Simon.
That's where it all started.
I have one, and everything you see in these phones today, even the concept of the touch screen, can be found in this device that almost 20 years old.
I *HAVE* and iPhone and I don't think it looks very similar at all. It has rounded square icons and pips to indicate which page of menus are on thats about it with the similarities. It also happens to look like shit.
Its about time for some user interface innovation from phone companies rather than copying another handset. I cant believe they actually approved this design. Look at the icon for mail and address book It is evidently copied from a better phone. A copy will always destroy itself. Lets see how many they sell, IF they produce it.
And you think the Chinese sit around all day, giving a flying frig about similar phone icons?
using a white envelope envelope for mail is a pretty generic, universal design, not unique to apple. If i made a car with four wheels, would i be copying Ford?
@Maveric101
"using a white envelope envelope for mail is a pretty generic, universal design, not unique to apple. If i made a car with four wheels, would i be copying Ford?"
Your example makes no sense, sorry to say. You're not copying Ford just because they made the first car with 4 wheels. Now if Ford copied the Honda Civic in every way (curves, lights, design, interior etc) then that would be considered copying.
In this case, Lenovo copied the iphones UI design. And yes, i am aware that Apple did not invent the grid layout on a cellphone, but they were the first to introduce glossy rounded cornered colourful icons with the dots on the bottom to indicate that there are more icons; and all on a black background.
Seriously people, if you delude yourselves into thinking that Lenovo and other copycats didn't 'copy' or wasn't 'inspired' by Apple's iPhone, then there is seriously no hope for you.
I don't even own an iPhone (proud BB curve 8900 owner) but I still acknowledge originality, and Lenovo and their 'oPhone' and their 'touch dream interface' is not at all original.
didn't eudora have the mail icon before all others had the mail icon. evidently the mail icon predates apple. all apple did was copy the mail icon and make the icon stylistic and pretty.
Then sell your iPhone IF you have one and get this when it comes out.
things go well, i'll be showing her my O-phone.
KIRF interface sure, but the Ophone is way way better looking than the Iphone, what impress people is the design, the skin of the device, you're not gonna WOW !!! anyone with the interface, are you ?
I see what's going on here.
It's not about how much the interface looks or doesn't look like the iPhone OS. It never was. It's simply a "sour grapes" mentality manifesting itself in the form of reporting these so-called "KIRF"ed products. Is there innovation here? Yes there is. In fact, the only reason this thing is being accused of being a shanzhai is because it uses big buttons with rounded corners. Look at the search bar at the top. Look at the textbox. Are those copied from Apple? Just because we don't get it over here in North America doesn't mean we should go around calling their products fake.
That, or, you know, the Engadget editors are "extremely terrified of Chinese people". That also tends to be common here in North America.
I am a chinese, and I have to admit that most of us doesn't respect intellectual properties, or doesn't even know what that is.
Square icons with labels?
APPLE KIRF!!!
How is this more of a KIRF than Samsung Instinct and LG Voyage? Those were blatant iPhone-UI "inspirations" but I don't even see a MENTION of it being 'KIRF'. Give me a break. Sinophobia at its best.
They just verbed an acronym. Nice.
Oh, colorful icons with descriptive text underneath them - how uniquely innovative. Obviously they ripped this off of the iPhone, because if Apple did it, well dang, it must be original!Actually, reminds me of my Windows desktop with I hit "Auto Arrange". Apple nerds take a nap.
WTH!!! MAN!! I'm sick with this. If you have a huge screen, square icons with curved edges and a huge dialer key-pad, its a iPhone look alike! Stereotypes. Hehe.
Why can't more countries in the world innovate instead of copying? This is hideous.
Paul Lopez
作者看起来像个KIRF
I must admit, my iPhone does not have an icon labeled "TV"
ok. obviously there are some similarities between this and iphone's ui, and you can say that they were inspired by apple, which is not the first time... so? what's the big deal? you think the chinese will give a f**k about this?
ahhhhhh.,iphonekiller!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Besides from the round colorful icons and a black background I don't see how this is a copy of the iPhone UI. Looks similar I guess. There's a search bar and it doesn't have the distinctive dock on the bottom and the dialer looks completely different so the actual functional UI elements seem to be different.
In short, theme (colorful round buttons black background) is similar but the UI looks different.
If you look at the actual functional elements of the UI, the Instinct & Voyager are much closer to the iPhone as someone mentioned, and that wasn't called KIRF.
Even the Palm Pre is more similar in the functional elements on the home screen (it also has the dock on the bottom).
I wrote about this and engadget ages ago.
http://www.utilitycomputing.com.cn/?p=96
Those that can't do teach or write about it.
Kids in north america - not running global enterprises out of asia. Tall poppy syndrome.
Sinophobia for sure. Oh well - they'll be the poor and homeless ones soon enough, not the KIRF's. Seems the engadget people here are either communists, dislike market economies or just plain don't want to make money and be rich.
RF.
Richard:
No. You did not write about this. Engadget wrote about this first and their writings are original. You insult Engadget and hurt Engadget's feelings by suggesting they may have knocked off your supposedly original writings. (See what I mean?)
Also, shame on you for pretending to have a Chinese site that's hosted on an American server.
You =think= my server is in the USA don't you. Shows what an expert in IT you are. Keep working local jobs in your own economy bub.
Never heard of global load balancing? Well why would I use my own blog to test my own platform - gee what a crAzy idea. Maybe I should just do it the same simple and uneducated and uninspired way as a north american geek would.
Keep working for the man mate.
RF.
I kinda like the way it looks even if it's a copy of the iPhone's UI.
So much of a copycat that my 16 month old daughter tried to touch the icons thinking it was an iPhone screen!