Samsung Incites Apple Cloning Allegations With New ‘Ultra’ Watch & Earbuds
Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event on July 10 was a splashy affair, brimming with new tech toys. But under the shiny veneer, a war of words has erupted. Did the South Korean tech giant’s latest gadgets borrow a little too liberally from Apple’s playbook?
Eagle-eyed viewers have spotted a striking resemblance between some of Samsung’s new offerings and Apple’s existing products, with the spotlight landing squarely on the Galaxy Watch Ultra smartwatch and the Galaxy Buds 3 earbuds, which kind of look like the Apple Watch Ultra and the AirPods. They could be sisters, in fact.
Samsung has officially announced their new Galaxy Watch Ultra 😳
— AppleTrack (@appltrack) July 10, 2024
Here it is compared to the Apple Watch Ultra...
Do you think this is a coincidence? pic.twitter.com/utMvxxHrJx
Me: I won't get Airpods or the Apple Watch because I don't like their shape
— Anthony (@TheGalox_) June 19, 2024
Also me: I'll stay with the Buds and Galaxy Watch since they're more comfortable
Samsung: pic.twitter.com/oy9GExcfhN
A little on the nose is the ‘Ultra’ naming scheme for both the Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch flagships. The term typically implies a rugged, feature-packed version, and both companies used it for their respective top-of-the-line models.
Apple Watch Ultra • Galaxy Watch Ultra
— Alvin (@sondesix) July 10, 2024
Samsung does not even try to be subtle this time, lol. 💀 pic.twitter.com/jdVU9fmQCR
A lot of people are pointing out that Samsung ditched their lug-style bands and shamelessly copied the band design of Apple Watch. This is true! But Apple also shamelessly copied a real watch, the Ikepod—designed by Marc Newson who….
— Snazzy Labs (@SnazzyLabs) July 11, 2024
…no wait Apple hired him, nevermind. pic.twitter.com/MGhRz7FmKM
The similarities don’t stop there. The Galaxy Watch Ultra’s flat display, prominent bezel, and bold color accents seem to mirror design choices Apple made with its own Ultra Watch. In terms of functionality, Samsung’s inclusion of a customizable ‘Quick’ button on the Galaxy Watch Ultra echoes the functionality of the Apple Watch Ultra’s ‘Action’ button, says Mashable.
Image via Samsung
Image via Apple
Other news outlets have piled onto the photocopy train, with Engadget teasing that the designs “didn't fall far from the Apple tree.”
Image via Samsung
As with the new Galaxy Buds, they’ve been compared to Apple’s AirPods, but with a chrome finish.
Samsung literally copied and pasted the Airpods… respectively lol pic.twitter.com/c9XKpuPJyd
— NikTek (@NikTekOfficial) July 10, 2024
The watch and airpods-copies are inexcusable. Just Samsung at its worst. https://t.co/glWlGFXTn1
— Sebastiaan de With (@sdw) July 10, 2024
To be fair, this convergence in design might reflect a natural evolution within the tech market. With limited real estate on a wrist and in the ears, functionality might be dictating form, leading to similar layouts and button placements.
It’s also possible that both companies are responding to user demands for a more rugged, feature-rich experience with the smartwatch. Ultimately, healthy competition can breed innovation, and if both Samsung and Apple are working to push boundaries, consumers might just be the biggest winners.
I get why Samsung did the watch/buds like this, Apple sells well. Looking like Apple sells well. It's not creative, but their spin on a very popular and recognizable design is
— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) July 10, 2024
It feels weird and wrong but makes sense and I struggle to do anything but laugh and enjoy the devices https://t.co/TjAtscqy0W
