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Samsung’s days of copying Apple might be coming to an end

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The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 sitting next to each other.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 (left) and Galaxy Watch Ultra Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Accusations of being Apple copycats have always dogged Android phone manufacturers like Samsung. Sometimes, these accusations are valid, but often, they’re not. After all, Apple is a huge and influential company in the market with a distinctive design language, so some amount of inspiration is to be expected.

But with the recent launch of devices like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Galaxy Buds 3, it seems like Samsung has been taking a little too much inspiration from Apple — and that’s according to Samsung Electronics’ own Chairman Lee Jae-yong.

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According to AjuNews, Lee, usually known for his gentle demeanor, got unusually angry in a statement to employees, criticizing them for their design of the Buds 3 and Galaxy Watch Ultra. “When the controversy over Apple’s design plagiarism and quality spilled out over the Buds 3 series and Galaxy Watch 7, which were released last month, Chairman Lee personally stepped in,” said an unnamed Samsung Electronics official. “The atmosphere inside is very bad at the moment.”

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro next to Apple AirPods Pro Gen 2.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro (left) and AirPods Pro 2 Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Apparently, when Lee saw the new devices, including the Buds 3, his first impression was to describe it as “Apple-like” and being too similar to the AirPods, especially in terms of the case and the fit. It’s also undeniable that the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Galaxy Watch Ultra bear more than a passing resemblance to the AirPods Pro and Apple Watch Ultra, respectively.

In the case of the Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro, both have stems, just like the AirPods and AirPods Pro. On top of that. Samsung also saw fit to adopt the pinch and swipe gestures for media controls. The Galaxy Watch Ultra has a circular display with a rectangular frame with an orange crown button, similar to the Apple Watch Ultra. The similarities earned Samsung mockery among both Apple and Samsung fans alike and across social media platforms. This also follows an apology Samsung was forced to give over quality control issues related to the Buds 3 Pro.

According to reporting from SamMobile, actions have been taken against the smartphone division, including Samsung MX leader TM Roh. The nature of the actions is not clear, but it seems likely the intent is to send a strong message to Samsung’s smartphone division to lay off the copying and return to Samsung’s own design language.

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Ajay Kumar
Ajay Kumar
Freelance Writer, Mobile
Ajay has worked in tech journalism for more than a decade as a reporter, analyst, and editor.
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