Unveiled over the weekend, the Chinese version of the Amazon Appstore provides both free and paid apps, Reuters reported Monday. Google Play stocks only free apps for Chinese users, which makes Amazon the first Western tech company to set up a store for paid Android apps in China.

Amazon may now have a leg up on Google. But the retail giant must also square off against local sites in China, many of which offer paid and free apps. Some of the apps from the local rivals, however, are pirated copies or infected with malware, according to Reuters.

A spokesman for Amazon told Reuters that the company is working with developers to create more apps for the new store.

The app store opening may be yet another signal that Amazon aims to sell Kindle devices in China.

In December, the company opened an online Kindle store offering a variety of Chinese-language books. Last June, four Kindle devices, including the Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire, received regulatory approval from the State Radio Regulation of China, according to Reuters. Amazon’s former China chief also told Reuters last year that the company hopes to bring the Kindle to China within two years.

HTC M4 (May 1, 2013)

Motorola X Phone (May 2, 2013)
A trio of new images appear to suggest Ma Bell is in line to carry the so-called, and still unconfirmed, Motorola X Phone. The three photos, which come from oft-reliable Twitter source @evleaks, show a smartphone (or smartphones) that somewhat resembles previously leaked photos. Bearing the name “Blackboxed Motorola for AT&T,” it appears to be the same handset found in a batch of images that have since been removed from a Vietnamese site.

New benchmarks surfacing this week show a potential X Phone running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. These new numbers conflict with scores from last week that tipped tipped Android 5.0.1. The scores, which can be easily rigged, showed a “Google X” with a 1.5GHz processor and a score of 15,479.

Sources indicate that users might be able to customize multiple facets of the rumored device, including the outer materials and colors. Internally, reports suggest that the X-Phone is actually part of a larger brand and an approach that could feature user-defined configurations for memory and processor options as well as carrier selection.

It likely won’t be called the X-Phone when the project hits prime time, but the project is at least very much real. A job posting on LinkedIn advertised for an “X-Phone” product manager.

Plenty of other rumors swirl around the suspected device, including one that the X-Phone may offer hardware choices that resemble the Droid Razr Maxx HD, according to one PhoneArena source.

Nexus 5 (May 1, 2013)
Google may again tap LG as the handset maker of choice for the next generation of Nexus smartphones, according to the Korea Times. No hardware details or time frames were given; however, we might anticipate something in the fall. Given the trend as of late is to release the Nexus experience in the fall so we might expect specs and rumors to come in short order.

Toshiba AT10LE-A (May 2, 2013)
Toshiba is rumored to be testing a new high-end Android tablet capable of connecting to an external keyboard, reports Techblog. Hardware specifications are said to include Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 4 1.8GHz processor, 10.1-inch display, microSD, Mini-HDMI output, and stereo speakers. There are no indications yet as to which markets may carry the Toshiba AT10LE-A, nor are pricing details clear.

The Toshiba AT10LE-A seems to run the Android 4.2.1 version, and according to benchmarks that appeared recently Tegra 4 processor, will be clocked at 1.8GHz.

NEC Terrain (April 29, 2013)
AT&T looks to be readying another portrait QWERTY Android, this time in the form of an NEC. Known as the NEC Terrain, the phone should run Android 4.1+ and feature a display in the realm of 2.8-inches to 3.0-inches. No additional details are known however the rubber coating and moniker lead us to believe a rugged experience could be in order.

April 20 – April 26, 2013

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active (April 26, 2013)
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Samsung expects to release a waterproof and dust-proof version of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Known for now as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, the smartphone is rumored to touch down in July.

Samsung Galaxy Core (April 26, 2013)
Samsung could also be readying yet another member of the Galaxy family as word of a Samsung Galaxy Core trickles online (translate). Details for the smartphone point to a trimmed-down experience with specs such as a 4.3-inch (800×480) display, a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 768MB RAM, 8GB internal storage (with microSD expansion), a 5-megapixel rear camera, and a 1,800mAh battery. Resembling pretty much every other Samsung handset as of late, the Galaxy Core figures to run Android 4.1 with TouchWiz UI.

Sony Xperia ZR (April 26, 2013)
Sony may introduce a 4.6-inch variation of the Xperia Z in the near term, reports Xperiablog. Previously rumored under the moniker “Dogo”, the C550X looks to feature a 720p HD display, 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, a 13-megapixel (Exmor RS) rear camera, and 2,300mAH battery. While the processor is listed as a Qualcomm design, it is unclear whether it will be a Snapdragon S4 Pro or Snapdragon 600 series. Like the Xperia Z, the so-called Xperia ZR is also rumored to be water-resistant.

Previous rumors for the handset line up closely with the Xperia ZR specs; however it’s not an exact match. Details uncovered in March suggested the Dogo would feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU, though it was listed with 32GB internal storage. For what it’s worth, this handset was also tied to the name “Xperia A” and was said to feature an IR blaster and NFC support.

April 13 – April 19, 2013

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (April 19, 2013)
Samsung looks to have delayed the release of the Galaxy S4 Mini by eight weeks, reports SamMobile. Rumored to come in two colors (Black Mist and White Frost), Samsung may offer the handset in both single-SIM and dual-SIM flavors.

Dovetailing with previous rumors, the Galaxy S4 Mini could feature a 4.3-inch qHD display, an 8-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, AGPS, and provide 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB storage options.

LG Optimus G2 (April 18, 2013)
The LG Optimus G2 could prove to be too thin for a conventional form factor, or so says tech site MyDrivers (translate). Word on the street is that the volume and power buttons will be moved to the rear, as they do not fit properly on the sides. First discovered by its model number, the LG D801 has been found to score considerably high on benchmark tests; all sources indicate LG may be readying one of the most powerful devices to date.

Rumored as the LG Optimus G2, details include Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, a 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, a 13-megapixel rear camera, 2GB RAM, and an Adreno 330 GPU. Expected to offer a full-HD 1,920×1,080-pixel display, it’s possible that the D801 will boast a screen size of 5 inches or larger.

Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 (April 18, 2013)
The first details for what is expected to be the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 have arrived, suggesting that another midrange experience is on the horizon. Preliminary specifications are reported to include a dual-core 1GHz Broadcom processor, a display resolution of 480×800 pixels, 4GB internal storage, and a 5-megapixel camera. As often has been the case with European models of this kind, the Galaxy Ace 3 is rumored to come in a variety of colors and single-SIM and dual-SIM editions.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (April 17, 2013)
Samsung may take a page out of the HTC playbook with the upcoming Galaxy Note 3, SamMobile suggests. Reportedly “worried” about the design of the next big thing, Samsung could change things up for the massive handset and forgo the familiar plastic materials.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is rumored to feature a 6.3-inch display, according to details found on Samsung’s Galaxy S4 microsite. A Samsung Game Pad accessory lists support for 4-inch to 6.3-inch screen sizes, leading many to believe this will be size of the next phablet experience. Lining up with a previous Korean Times report, Samsung could give its next Note an eight-core processor.

Huawei Edge (April 11, 2013)
Huawei may dial up the Edge as the handset maker’s flagship device for summer 2013. Recently leaked (translate) details suggest the smartphone will run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and feature a quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, a 4.9-inch 1080p HD display, and 2,600mAh battery. Reportedly, the Huawei Edge will come in 16GB and 32GB models and could come in a svelte 6.3mm chassis.

April 3 – April 12, 2013

Android-powered notebooks (April 2, 2013)
Rumors out of Digitimes suggest that Google is building an Android-powered notebook PC that could arrive as soon as the third quarter. Reportedly, the “Androidbook” is one of Sundar Pichai’s projects and could help accelerate Google’s foray into the PC market.

Nexus 7 refresh (April 3, 2013)
The next generation of Nexus 7 could arrive in July, according to Reuters. Reportedly, Google will again employ Asus for the devices however Qualcomm may have replaced NVIDIA as the chipmaker of choice. It remains unclear what will happen with the current series of Nexus 7 models; rumors suggest Google could be pushing for a lower price for the 7-inch lineup.

Previous rumors suggest that the new Nexus 7 could feature an HD display. DisplaySearch analyst Paul Semenza recently told CNET that the next model may reach 323 pixels per inch, which could mean up to 1,900 x 1,200 pixel resolution.

Casio C881 Gz’One Commando (April 1, 2013)
A Casio C881 Gz’One Commando has been recently spotted in FCC documents, tipping Verizon’s hand for an upcoming military-spec device. Presumably a successor to last year’s C771 Gz’One Commando, the details look to include CDMA and LTE support, as well as NFC, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.

Other rumors we’re tracking

Amazon Kindle Phone (March 27, 2013)
Amazon may have scrapped plans for 4.3-inch screen on the rumored Kindle phone in favor of a larger 4.7-inch display, reports DigiTimes. Said to be arriving as soon as the second quarter, Amazon’s Android handset will presumably run a forked version of the platform, similar to the one that runs the Kindle Fire tablets. Allegedly, Amazon has tasked Foxconn with building the Kindle Phone, Taiwan Economic News reports.

Sony Togari (March 27, 2013)
Sony may introduce the largest smartphone experience to date, if the rumored “Togari” proves to be real. A photo of the alleged full HD panel surfaced back in January, showing a massive 6.44-inch display size.

Larger than the Huawei Ascend Mate, it is also expected to be faster and more powerful in nearly every aspect. Components are reported to include 3GB RAM, a 2.3GHZ Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU, Adreno 330 GPU, 32GB of internal storage, and 13-megapixel Exmor RS camera. Powered by a 3,500mAh battery, the Togari should also feature a stylus, NFC, LTE, and an IR blaster.

HTC Droid DNA/Butterfly successor (March 27, 2013)
A follow-up to HTC’s Droid DNA phone is being planned, says HTC Chief Marketing Officer Ben Ho. Talking with reporters earlier in the week, Ho said that HTC would soon launch a second-generation Butterfly aimed at those looking for the large-screen experience.

Google’s Android smartwatch (March 21, 2013)
Google looks to be joining Apple in the development of a rumored smartwatch, according to a recent Financial Times report. Details are light, however, the watch is said to be designed by the “Android unit” at Google. An unnamed source said that the watch will “act as an extension to the smartphones using that operating system.” According to a 2011 patent application, the watch will have dual-screened display and a interactive user interface.

Samsung smartwatch (March 18, 2013)
Samsung has confirmed plans to release a smartwatch, but details like pricing and availability are unknown. “We’ve been preparing the watch product for so long,” Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business, recently said during an interview with Bloomberg. “We are working very hard to get ready for it. We are preparing products for the future, and the watch is definitely one of them.”

LG smartwatch (March 22, 2013)
LG could be cooking up both a smartwatch and a wearable computing device along the lines of Google Glass, reports the Korea Times. It remains unclear whether the LG watch will run Android or Firefox; both are likely candidates for the hardware maker.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Plus (March 21, 2013)
Samsung could introduce a Galaxy Tab 3 Plus later this year, according to a SamMobile insider. Reportedly, the high-end Samsung tablet will feature a Super AMOLED FULL HD Display and may come in either a 10.1-inch or 11.6-inch display size. Early rumors pegged pegged the device with a 2,560×1,600 pixel resolution and possibly a quad-core Exynos processor and at least 2GB RAM.

ZTE Quantum (March 19, 2013)
Sprint is rumored to be testing a 4G LTE smartphone from ZTE, reports AndroidPolice. Carrying an N8910 model number, the Quantum is said to run Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and feature a 5-inch 720p display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB RAM, and 4GB internal storage. Flanked by a 13.0-megapixel rear camera and front-facing 0.9-megapixel camera, the Quantum could be another lower-cost alternative for Sprint customers.

Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie
Leaked slides from a Qualcomm presentation give credence to rumors and expectations of a spring release for Android’s 5.0 Key Lime Pie mobile OS. The name and time frame are not exactly new, though Qualcomm’s insistence that the slides be removed is telling. Perhaps the chipmaker’s Octa 8-core processor is included in the first handset or tablet? It is worth noting, however, that the “K” release of Android could ultimately end up as v4.3 or something similar.

Sony Xperia L (March 6, 2013)
A Sony Xperia L could soon be introduced as a mid-tier Android device, reports Xperia Blog. Details for the handset are reported to include a 4.3-inch, 854×480-pixel display, 1GHz dual-core processor, 8GB internal storage, microSD slot, and an 8-megapixel camera. Said to run Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, the Xperia L is also known by its C210X model number.

T-Mobile Prism II (March 3, 2013)
T-Mobile may offer the Huawei U8686 as the T-Mobile Prism, indicates oft-reliable @evleaks. Specifications are reported to include Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, a 1GHz single-core processor, and a display with 320×240-pixel resolution. Typically, a QVGA display falls at around 3.5 inches.

HTC G2 (February 1, 2013)
Not to be confused with the another HTC smartphone of the same name, a low-end Android model is also rumored for a spring 2013 release date. Details obtained by Unwired View include a 1GHz processor, a 2.5-inch HVGA display, 512MB RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and 5-megapixel camera. Presumably aimed at first-time smartphone users, the G2 could run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Pantech Perception (February 22, 2013)
The Pantech Perception recently passed through the FCC, hinting at a basic touch smartphone with an 8-megapixel rear camera. Details confirmed in the filing include NFC, 4G LTE, as well as CDMA and GSM roaming. Chances are good that this is merely Verizon’s take on the Pantech Discover announced at CES. Should that prove true, we could also anticipate a dual-core processor and 4.8-inch display.

Samsung Godiva (February 25, 2013)
The Samsung Godiva, spied indicates Verizon may offer another member in the Stratosphere family. Details are rumored to include CDMA and LTE bands, GSM roaming, NFC, and support for future AWS networks. While the model number indicates a direct successor to the Stratosphere is in order, a photo obtained by Engadget suggests otherwise; note the lack of a physical keyboard.

Asus ME371MG tablet (February 7, 2013)
Asus will allegedly debut an “ultra-budget” 7-inch Android tablet in the second quarter, reports Bulgarian tech site Tablet.bg (translate). The tablet could have an Intel Atom Z2420 dual-core processor, a microSD expansion slot, 1GB RAM, and a 3-megapixel rear camera. Powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the ME371MG is listed with a 7-inch 1,280×800-pixel IPS screen, 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, and 4,270 mAh battery.

LG VS870 (January 23, 2013)
Verizon may introduce a version of the LG Escape, according to FCC documents. Hardware details are unknown but are likely to include the same 4.3-inch display, 1GB RAM, and 5-megapixel camera.

Pope was working with John Benson, a patient with severe levels of smartphone addiction has lost his job and his girlfriend because of the smart device.

Benson, the man from Blackpool, England, admitted to not realize that smartphones amid “destroyed” his life.

“I initially felt normal,” Benson said in an interview with BBC Radio 5, as quoted by VR-Zone. “I bought a smartphone and play games with him. I was also able to download applications and music, then hear it anywhere. I guess it’s not addictive.”

Benson more often to spend time with his smartphone. He downloading thousands of apps and music. Sometimes multiple applications downloaded at once because could not wait until the process is complete.

Benson then grew serious problem. He stopped eating, no shower and shave, and many stay at home. I was so busy with smartphones, home burglarized Benson had wanted, but he chose to indifferent.

During the three and a half years have a smartphone, Benson spent money of 10,000 pounds or approximately USD 151 million to buy apps and so forth.

Aware of the effects of addictive smartphone, Benson had tried to get rid of the electronic device to destroy it.

However, these efforts did not succeed because he recognized later even bought a new smartphone. The reason, Benson feels better with a smartphone in hand. According to him, his hands will sweat when not holding a smart phone.

Pope, the psychotherapist who handle Benson, smartphone called the “silent killer” because it can be very addictive in the hands of people who are inclined to become addicted, especially since these devices are sold freely on the market.

The phenomenon of smartphone addiction, Pope continued, more common among adolescents and children. Although the case was a little different, and a few British toddler has also been reported to have been addicted to the iPad.

But if you’re like Suzanne Nassise and buy the Apple tablet in a store known, it is normal to be legitimate. Nassise that came out of a Walmart in Brockton, Massachusetts, last month with what I thought was a $ 499 iPad.

When he got home and opened the box, he thought: “Wow, it’s very light, Apple products are stylish,” he told CNN affiliate WCVB.

Then he tried to turn on the iPad.

But nothing happened. Nassiese noticed better in the plastic box. The pseudo-tablet (a iFake, to call it somehow) imitate the connection port for charging the iPad and the speakers were just painted black dots.

“When I realized, I was disappointed,” he told WCVB. “I paid $ 500 for a paperweight.”

Not the first time it happens. In recent years there have been several cases in different U.S. stores. And the worst is that some businesses have refused to return the money to the buyers thinking that wanted to deceive.

Most cases have occurred in Walmart stores, but not the only one.

In December 2010, a man from Dorchester, Massachusetts, said it spent $ 800 at Best Buy on an iPad that was false. The store told WHDH channel that did the same for another five or six.

The following year, Ken Leman did the same in a Walmart in Woodstock, Georgia. As happened with Nassise, the device was perfectly packaged.

“I think someone changed the iPad and returned the box with the cellophane” LEMAL said in a recent interview with CNN. “An employee says, Oh, is packaged unopened it back on the shelf, and then sell it to another. Believe that’s what happened,” he added.

The same year, several shops Future Shop and Best Buy in Vancouver, Canada, said they had opened a shipment of Apple and found plastic bags filled with clay.

What is happening? The dealers do not say. One theory is that a person buys an iPad and replace it with something of the same size and weight. Then the person returns the iPad and requires that money back. Another conjecture is that they are unscrupulous employees themselves who do those “cambiazos”.

Walmart initially did not want to return the money to Nassise, but when a television channel began to cover the story, Nassise received the money.

Dianna Gee, a spokeswoman for Walmart, said the company is aware of the problem and working to resolve it.

Best Buy did not respond to several requests for comment.

The experience made him distrust LEMAL purchases of intermediate products, and learned a valuable lesson: double check the serial number of the box.

“If you have a problem, do not rely only on the dealer to check what is inside the box, call Apple and check the serial number is on the box,” he said.

Open that iPad before buying it, could be false.

Although Apple is still catching up to other smartphone makers like Samsung, analysts say Apple is finally taking India seriously.

“In Q4, Apple has turned out to be the number two player in India. And this means that they have done a significant shift in their positioning,” said Venu Reddy, research director at IDC, the technology market research firm.

“Suddenly, everyone was throwing their Blackberries, Samsungs, Nokias and everyone was kind of changing to an i-Phone,” said customer Akanshya Balram.

Samsung remains India’s strongest smartphone brand, with 38.8% of market share in terms of revenue, followed by Apple with 15.6%, Sony (9.4%) and Nokia (7.3%), according to IDC>

Apple‘s success has been attributed to its ability to adapt to India’s smartphone distribution market, where most electronics are sold through small, family-owned shops. Mobile phones in India are not subsidized by telecom operators, unlike other parts of the world.

“The reality of the Indian market in general is that the most of the electronics are bought at individual shops, maybe because of the nature of the buying behavior of the Indian market itself,” said Gurvinder Singh, from Global Gadgets, an Apple dealer.

Prior to Apple‘s change in strategy an i-Phone in India cost nearly 30% more than in the U.S., and customers has to wait as long as a year for delivery.

Article Source

Even then, it took another few years before Android was good enough to go toe to toe with iOS, Apple‘s mobile operating system.

But it’s no longer about being just as good as Apple. You have to be better. Competitors have built upon the foundation Apple laid in mobile and are now leapfrogging it with bunch of useful features you can’t find on iPhones and iPads.

The evidence is everywhere, but it’s most apparent in products made by Apple’s biggest mobile rival, Samsung.
By now, Samsung’s Galaxy devices have become synonymous with Android, to the point that the manufacturer has more brand recognition than any other phone or tablet running Google’s operating system. A lot of that has to do with Samsung’s massive marketing budget, but you can’t ignore the fact that the company has innovated a lot by creating popular new product categories that Apple is wary to try.

The best example of this is the Galaxy Note, a smartphone-tablet hybrid with a giant screen. When that device first hit the United States about a year ago, critics (including me) slammed the device for being too large. It couldn’t fit comfortably in your pocket. It was really thick. And it came with a stylus, that relic of the Palm Pilot era, making the Note feel like a step backward.

None of that mattered. Samsung sold at least 10 million Galaxy Notes. The company came out with an updated version with an even larger screen called the Galaxy Note II a few months later and sold another 5 million (at last count), a very big achievement for a single Android device.

But more importantly, Samsung created a new category of smartphone that people didn’t even know they wanted, much like Apple did when it released the first iPhone.

Samsung isn’t afraid to tout its cool factor either. Since the first commercial debuted in late 2011, you’ve probably seen those “Next Big Thing” ads that make fun of starry-eyed Apple fans waiting in line for the next iPhone. Whether it’s boasting about the bigger screens or sharing content by tapping phones together, Samsung seems content to blast Apple for its stuffiness while showing in a practical context what its devices can do.

On the software side of things, Samsung is taking advantage of its mobile devices’ processing power to layer premium features on top of Android, such as the ability to run two apps at once in a split screen or separate window. Samsung’s best tablet, the Galaxy Note 10.1, can do all that plus take advantage of a stylus so you can draw and take notes on the screen.

There is a downside to the split-screen thing, however. Developers have to tweak their apps to work in split-screen mode on the Note 10.1. There are only about 20 apps right now that can do it.

But what’s most important is how nimble Samsung has become at improving its mobile devices through software updates. The Note 10.1 launched last fall, but it received a software update with a new version of Android and a slew of other features like the voice assistant Google Now, which is a lot more impressive than Apple’s original Siri.

Samsung’s director of product planning, Shoneel Kolhatkar, said the company takes user and reviewer feedback into account when preparing to deliver new software updates. Instead of making users wait a year for new features, Kolhatkar said Samsung can use that feedback to deliver “incremental innovation that keeps the product alive.”

“We want to keep the product relevant to consumers,” Kolhatkar said. “It’s about how to fit our devices into people’s lives versus changing their behavior.”

Samsung isn’t alone, of course. Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system is built for touchscreen devices like tablets, too, and it offers a lot of advantages over iOS. All Windows 8 apps can run in a split screen so you can run two at once, plus the main menu is capable of displaying real-time updates for stuff like news and weather. Microsoft even has its own line of Surface tablets that blur the line between PC and laptop thanks to a clever snap-on keyboard cover.

Based on all this evidence, Apple feels behind. Take a look at its newest fourth-generation iPad. It has a killer processor and other great hardware features, but the operating system doesn’t take advantage of any of that. The home screen is still just a grid of static icons that launch apps.

Apple also isn’t nearly as versatile at adding new software features to its devices. Apple usually makes users wait a year or more for a new version of iOS, and even then some older devices can’t access all the latest and greatest features.

Apple CEO Tim Cook likes to say tablets — not laptops — are the future of computing, yet it feels like Apple’s software goes out of its way to limit what you can do on the machine.

Meanwhile there are others, especially Samsung, that appear to be innovating at a pace faster than Apple can.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Steve Kovach.

Article Source

“Some of the awards rests on the theory of the law is not permitted,” wrote U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh ruled.

The jury has given Apple more than $ 1 billion in total damages after finding Samsung has copied both the design and features of the iPhone software.

“The court in damage” influence the formula, and thus the amount that Samsung must pay to Apple. It will focus on some specific Samsung products, after Koh questioning damages ordered by them. They are the Galaxy Prevail, Gem, Indulge, Infuse 4G, Galaxy SII AT & T, Captivate, Continuum, Droid Charge, Epic 4G, Exhibit 4G, Galaxy Tab, Nexus S 4G, Replenish and Transform.

Apple vs. Samsung: A peace treaty
Just under $ 600 million from the previous award Apple involving Samsung’s products are still standing, according to Koh.

Samsung, which recently logged record sales of new Galaxy phone, locked in a tight race with Apple to see who will dominate the U.S. smartphone market.

That competition has spilled into the courts on several occasions.

Last summer, the South Korean court found that both parties had violated their patents, bans sales of iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, two models of the iPad and the Samsung Galaxy S2. But the damage was ordered in the case paled in comparison to those at stake when the two technology giants faced last year in U.S. federal court in Northern California.

Apple alleges Samsung copied the iPhone and iPad designs, Samsung sued for $ 2.5 billion. Samsung countersued Apple for $ 519 million, also for patent infringement.

Patent battle continues

After sifting through 109 pages jury instructions and record their testimonies and memories of the week, nine-person jury found Samsung guilty of “deliberate” infringement of patents Apple and recommended that Apple gets more than $ 1 billion in compensation.

The jury did not recommend giving Samsung money in his counterclaims.

“This is a huge win for Apple,” said Mark Lemley, a Stanford law professor, then. The award “just big enough to make it the largest in the history of patent life sentence.”

In December, Judge Koh issued a decision refusing the request for a new trial based Samsung company claims the jury foreman, Velvin Hogan, was prejudiced against the company because he had been sued by Seagate, his former employer. Samsung became the biggest investor after selling the division to Seagate hard drive makers in 2011.