In a recent Q&A with design fans Apple designer Jony Ive criticised Xiaomi’s copying of Apple products! Xiaomi have responded.
No matter where your loyalties lie (Apple or Xiaomi) there is no denying the fact that Xiaomi’s most recent products, and OS, look way to similar to what Apple are making for it to be a coincidence.
The Xiaomi Mi4 is the product which really caught the attention of most smartphone fans for it’s iPhone-esque design, but that’s not the only product that borrow from Jony Ive and co.
Xiaomi’s mini router looks like Apple’s trackpad, even their battery packs look like Apples’ iPod range!
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Apple fans and the media have already commented on the copying, but to hear Apple’s Jony Ive speak about the situation must worry Xiaomi a little.
In a recent Q&A Jony Ive had this to say about Xiaomi:
“I’ll stand a little bit harsh, I don’t see it as flattery. When you’re doing something for the first time, you don’t know it’s gonna work, you spend 7 or 8 years working on something, and then it’s copied. I think it is really straightforward. It is theft and it is lazy. I don’t think it is ok at all.”
Xiaomi bosses aren’t known for keeping quiet in situations like this and have responded. Bin Lin’s response appears to suggest he believes Xiaomi is not copying Apple, or anyone:
“Xiaomi is a very open company, will not be forced to ask you only use the products we have a lot of Xiaomi outside. seriously by any individual institution Over millet products qualify say is not copying someone else’s”
He goes to to say that he is willing to give Ive a Xiaomi phone to use that that he is in a real situation to comment:
” I am willing to gift a Xiaomi phone to him (Ive), let him use it over and then really comment . “
How do you stand on the Xiaomi copying Apple argument. Are they really taking advantage of Apples design and experience, or do you think Ive’s comments are too harsh?
[ Source ]
RPI english there
Reap Englis
Xiaomi is a copy though and water is wet. Everything in China is a copy, weibo – twitter (even has the blue clouds on the sidebar. Then we have OnePlus calling themselves a ‘startup’ when they had millions of dollars in funding and a whole production facility from the same damn company that owns them, oppo. China is so ridiculous sometimes.
Hmmm. Everything a copy? That’s sentimental.
Ye what’s copying got to do with OnePlus?
ehmm You are calling ridiculous one of the most populated countries in th world.
You are calling ridiculous a sixth of world’s population…. Have you ever been in China? if you did, try to keep your eyes open next time…
Apple trying to patent every rectangular with round corners phone, that is ridiculous.
Saying that a company is copying you while you copy others, that is riculous.
Saying that their product presentations are a copy of yours because CEO wears a black T-shirt and shows the product to the audience, that is ridiculous.
And last but not least, your comment is ridiculous.
Aw come on! Xiaomi a copycat? Who’s dumb enough to think so. It’s creativity, the Chinese way.
It is ridiculous to compare photos of steve jobs and the boss of Xiaomi : Anyone who holds a small object and shows it to large audience will hold it like that.
Useless talking logic to a company that tried to patent rectangular phone as theirs only. Every other company needs to create circular, triangular or hexagonic phones.
You didn’t know Steve Jobbs was the first person to ever wear a black shirt and speak on stage?
Apple did not invent the smartphone (iphone 1 : June 2007): Before there was already blackberry and windows mobile 6 (February 2007) and windows mobile 5 (2005) and others …
All phones are square or rectangle, with or without rounded edges. there is no triangular phone yet
I don’t see the problem in copying something like a smartphone.
What can you do with a device which has a rectangular screen and some bezel around it?
The range of design for such a device is really small.
Yes, Xiaomi looks similar to an iPhone, but so do millions of other smartphones, and the newer iPhones also look a lot like an HTC One M8.
If Xiaomi or any other manufacturer had a similar design back in 2007, after Apple, the story would be different, it could be called theft or copying, but come on Ive, its 2014, let it go already.
Creativity and technology are nobody’s pet. Xiaomi is as creative as apple.In fact its much better than apple in a way that it brings the benefits of technology to masses.The fact hat apple fears is Xiaomi is cutting its way and standing apart from Apple Vs Samsung war and yet gains a appriciation for its uniquely affordable innovative products.
Mr Lin’s replay is much more matured tan MR Jony Ave
Thanks alot. Most reasonable line of thought yet.
i wont refer to the main issue but i believe this is a very very good publicity for xiaomi,thousands will search what xiaomi is , see their products , specification , price , their ui (miui) etc.
At this point every international reference good or bad for xiaomi is eventually a marketing win.
agree on this.. 🙂
every bit is true.
Apple should sue Xiaomi for not copying their price rate LOL
The phones seemingly look different. Designs and its copying is ludicrous. Every other design will be slightly different though they may look similar. If one brick is rectangular, the other must be oval or round or parabola or hyperbola and thereafter no one will have any shape is a laughing argument. Apple is excessive in saying that whichever the company may be, Xiaomi or any other company.
Smartphones have done in less than ten years what it took automobiles almost a hundred years to do – become a mature product where there is little technical innovation, most things under the shell are bought from a few global suppliers, and the main thing left to exploit in order to make a profit is brand differentiation.
In this mature market, we tend to get a few dominant suppliers – Toyota, VAG in the automobile world and Apple/Samsung in the smartphone world. In this stable world of giant profits for the leading companies now come the CHINESE! and rock the boat. Immature as they are, they also have the nerve to do crazy things like their own Android shells and rotating cameras that might actually make the brainwashed customer base ask “-Are we getting what we should for our money?”.
The sports equipment world is another grand example of this. I wonder what Nike and Adidas are going to do when we get a successful Chinese brand.
So, to wrap up, it doesn’t matter whether Xiaomi copies or not, leading brands are always going to try and stop new contenders. There is so little left to explore in smartphone design that all new phones must by necessity infringe on what someone else has already released on the market. And in my view the Xiaomi as presented in the picture in more of a Galaxt 2S copy.
Mick Jagger used to say something like, “I don’t care what they say about the band just as long as they’re talking about us.”
I don’t know how widespread this particular conflict is being reported, but it’s nothing but free advertising for Xiaomi.
RPI english there
Reap Englis
Xiaomi is a copy though and water is wet. Everything in China is a copy, weibo – twitter (even has the blue clouds on the sidebar. Then we have OnePlus calling themselves a ‘startup’ when they had millions of dollars in funding and a whole production facility from the same damn company that owns them, oppo. China is so ridiculous sometimes.
Hmmm. Everything a copy? That’s sentimental.
Ye what’s copying got to do with OnePlus?
ehmm You are calling ridiculous one of the most populated countries in th world.
You are calling ridiculous a sixth of world’s population…. Have you ever been in China? if you did, try to keep your eyes open next time…
Apple trying to patent every rectangular with round corners phone, that is ridiculous.
Saying that a company is copying you while you copy others, that is riculous.
Saying that their product presentations are a copy of yours because CEO wears a black T-shirt and shows the product to the audience, that is ridiculous.
And last but not least, your comment is ridiculous.
Aw come on! Xiaomi a copycat? Who’s dumb enough to think so. It’s creativity, the Chinese way.
It is ridiculous to compare photos of steve jobs and the boss of Xiaomi : Anyone who holds a small object and shows it to large audience will hold it like that.
Useless talking logic to a company that tried to patent rectangular phone as theirs only. Every other company needs to create circular, triangular or hexagonic phones.
You didn’t know Steve Jobbs was the first person to ever wear a black shirt and speak on stage?
Apple did not invent the smartphone (iphone 1 : June 2007): Before there was already blackberry and windows mobile 6 (February 2007) and windows mobile 5 (2005) and others …
All phones are square or rectangle, with or without rounded edges. there is no triangular phone yet
I don’t see the problem in copying something like a smartphone.
What can you do with a device which has a rectangular screen and some bezel around it?
The range of design for such a device is really small.
Yes, Xiaomi looks similar to an iPhone, but so do millions of other smartphones, and the newer iPhones also look a lot like an HTC One M8.
If Xiaomi or any other manufacturer had a similar design back in 2007, after Apple, the story would be different, it could be called theft or copying, but come on Ive, its 2014, let it go already.
Creativity and technology are nobody’s pet. Xiaomi is as creative as apple.In fact its much better than apple in a way that it brings the benefits of technology to masses.The fact hat apple fears is Xiaomi is cutting its way and standing apart from Apple Vs Samsung war and yet gains a appriciation for its uniquely affordable innovative products.
Mr Lin’s replay is much more matured tan MR Jony Ave
Thanks alot. Most reasonable line of thought yet.
i wont refer to the main issue but i believe this is a very very good publicity for xiaomi,thousands will search what xiaomi is , see their products , specification , price , their ui (miui) etc.
At this point every international reference good or bad for xiaomi is eventually a marketing win.
agree on this.. 🙂
every bit is true.
Apple has been copied by nearly all in China. So its more of a trend of China than solely that of Xiaomi.
“Nearly all”…. hahaha I don’t know where are you getting your numbers from, but you should double check your info…
Apple should sue Xiaomi for not copying their price rate LOL
The phones seemingly look different. Designs and its copying is ludicrous. Every other design will be slightly different though they may look similar. If one brick is rectangular, the other must be oval or round or parabola or hyperbola and thereafter no one will have any shape is a laughing argument. Apple is excessive in saying that whichever the company may be, Xiaomi or any other company.
Smartphones have done in less than ten years what it took automobiles almost a hundred years to do – become a mature product where there is little technical innovation, most things under the shell are bought from a few global suppliers, and the main thing left to exploit in order to make a profit is brand differentiation.
In this mature market, we tend to get a few dominant suppliers – Toyota, VAG in the automobile world and Apple/Samsung in the smartphone world. In this stable world of giant profits for the leading companies now come the CHINESE! and rock the boat. Immature as they are, they also have the nerve to do crazy things like their own Android shells and rotating cameras that might actually make the brainwashed customer base ask “-Are we getting what we should for our money?”.
The sports equipment world is another grand example of this. I wonder what Nike and Adidas are going to do when we get a successful Chinese brand.
So, to wrap up, it doesn’t matter whether Xiaomi copies or not, leading brands are always going to try and stop new contenders. There is so little left to explore in smartphone design that all new phones must by necessity infringe on what someone else has already released on the market. And in my view the Xiaomi as presented in the picture in more of a Galaxt 2S copy.
Xiaomi has such a strong offering that is reasonably priced they do not need to imitate anyone. Fact is they do imitate Apple in design and marketing effort
Xiaomi is a great company but there is no denying that every xiaomi product has an Apple imspired touch to it.
Mi4,MIUI,MI-pad,router,battery packs etc…
Yes, lots of their products have an apple influence…. so what???
Xiaomi CEO said that he loves apple products, I understand that they get influenced by Apple. Every single music band, writer, painter… and pretty much every artist in the world it’s under the influence of his/her predecesors… daoes that mean that they are copying them? No way. Ok then, why is this happening with phone designs?
Copying and getting influenced are completely different things.
The most relevant change for apple in the last years, a part for the always useful finger print scanner that I use 24/7 because I can’t live without it (sarcasm mode off) is just “flat icon design” (hahaha) and after that every single time someone spots a phone with flat icons says “oh it’s just like an Iphone” . Yeah? well flat icons were included in Meizu’s Flyme OS loooong time ago before Apple even discovered (thanks to Android) that it was possible to have a notification tray with shortcuts in it.
New Iphones exterior look like if an HTC and a MEIZU had a couple of kids together, so who has influence from who??? Who is copying who???
Mick Jagger used to say something like, “I don’t care what they say about the band just as long as they’re talking about us.”
I don’t know how widespread this particular conflict is being reported, but it’s nothing but free advertising for Xiaomi.
Apple has been copied by nearly all in China. So its more of a trend of China than solely that of Xiaomi.
“Nearly all”…. hahaha I don’t know where are you getting your numbers from, but you should double check your info…
Xiaomi has such a strong offering that is reasonably priced they do not need to imitate anyone. Fact is they do imitate Apple in design and marketing effort
Apple wins because has good software and make extra from this. It running fast just with not more than 1Gb ram dual core cpu that they have make and at Android we are talking for. 3gb and crazy high Ghz octa cpus!
Android must optimized better and use right this hardware then Apple will have a real problem. People need responsive phones not flagships with the best antutu score.
The looks should be what ever any company need to make at the end all phones will look the same just the back logo will be different.
Xiaomi is a great company but there is no denying that every xiaomi product has an Apple imspired touch to it.
Mi4,MIUI,MI-pad,router,battery packs etc…
Yes, lots of their products have an apple influence…. so what???
Xiaomi CEO said that he loves apple products, I understand that they get influenced by Apple. Every single music band, writer, painter… and pretty much every artist in the world it’s under the influence of his/her predecesors… daoes that mean that they are copying them? No way. Ok then, why is this happening with phone designs?
Copying and getting influenced are completely different things.
The most relevant change for apple in the last years, a part for the always useful finger print scanner that I use 24/7 because I can’t live without it (sarcasm mode off) is just “flat icon design” (hahaha) and after that every single time someone spots a phone with flat icons says “oh it’s just like an Iphone” . Yeah? well flat icons were included in Meizu’s Flyme OS loooong time ago before Apple even discovered (thanks to Android) that it was possible to have a notification tray with shortcuts in it.
New Iphones exterior look like if an HTC and a MEIZU had a couple of kids together, so who has influence from who??? Who is copying who???
What design, its square and black, who the hell patents a black rectangular design?!
I can understand some people defending Xiaomi here but form factor, rectangles etc are no excuse for the blatant copying. I’m neutral to the extent that I detest Apple and I’m an Android fanboy but Xiaomi have copied Apple all the way down to their launch style. The Mi3 was a good looking phone that delivered phenomenal value. The Mi4 is a glorified clone. Their CEO’s garbled and weak reply does nothing to convince anyone that’s objective. Xiaomi aren’t the only ones blatantly copying and you just need to look at the Umi zero, One Plus, HTC etc to see good looking phones that kick ass in specs and design. Personally, I won’t buy another phone that looks remotely like any iPhone. But it seems that list grows longer by the day as the manufacturers seem to have ignored what most people want: longer battery life, not thinner iPhone lookalikes.
Have you ever used Xiaomi Phone??
I’ve never used a Xiaomi phone but I hear they’re quite good value. I just don’t like their Apple worship.
Apple wins because has good software and make extra from this. It running fast just with not more than 1Gb ram dual core cpu that they have make and at Android we are talking for. 3gb and crazy high Ghz octa cpus!
Android must optimized better and use right this hardware then Apple will have a real problem. People need responsive phones not flagships with the best antutu score.
The looks should be what ever any company need to make at the end all phones will look the same just the back logo will be different.
Good design must invite copycats.. bad design nobody’s care.. and Mi3 is copying Nokia Lumia , but Microsoft is kindly enough to ignore it …and even now they make a joint cooperation with xiaomi , developing low cost windows phones (whatever it called)
apple can go eat dick… it’s statements like these hinting that their profits aren’t what they used to be. the chinese brands are a real threat now. LOL.
What design, its square and black, who the hell patents a black rectangular design?!
I can understand some people defending Xiaomi here but form factor, rectangles etc are no excuse for the blatant copying. I’m neutral to the extent that I detest Apple and I’m an Android fanboy but Xiaomi have copied Apple all the way down to their launch style. The Mi3 was a good looking phone that delivered phenomenal value. The Mi4 is a glorified clone. Their CEO’s garbled and weak reply does nothing to convince anyone that’s objective. Xiaomi aren’t the only ones blatantly copying and you just need to look at the Umi zero, One Plus, HTC etc to see good looking phones that kick ass in specs and design. Personally, I won’t buy another phone that looks remotely like any iPhone. But it seems that list grows longer by the day as the manufacturers seem to have ignored what most people want: longer battery life, not thinner iPhone lookalikes.
Have you ever used Xiaomi Phone??
I’ve never used a Xiaomi phone but I hear they’re quite good value. I just don’t like their Apple worship.
Ives’ criticisms sound like direct condemnations of Apple stealing ALL the ideas for the Macintosh from Xerox PARC. In a real sense, Apple hasn’t made ANYTHING that didn’t spring from that theft, and they still profit from it today.
Ives seems to live in a world of black and white, without shades of grey. He also seems to set his moral compass to be aligned with what’s profitable for Apple. In his world, he only thinks that HE does work, and that other people copy HIM. This probably seems good when viewed from the lawsuit-centric filter that Apple ALWAYS uses, but in the real world, we know better.
Ive needs to leave apple , He is old now.
correct
Xiaomi is conceptually very different, more similar to amazon then Apple, and more successfull then amazon in a sense. They don’t merely sell hardware but services. Their phone exist merely to access their store, so xiaomi has interest to sell hardware at low prices, but only to people can actually access their store. Apple is at the opposite, they build jewels.
Xiaomi plays at a very different level, they don’t make money on the hardware, apple dies, so they are scared.
Good design must invite copycats.. bad design nobody’s care.. and Mi3 is copying Nokia Lumia , but Microsoft is kindly enough to ignore it …and even now they make a joint cooperation with xiaomi , developing low cost windows phones (whatever it called)
apple can go eat dick… it’s statements like these hinting that their profits aren’t what they used to be. the chinese brands are a real threat now. LOL.
Ives’ criticisms sound like direct condemnations of Apple stealing ALL the ideas for the Macintosh from Xerox PARC. In a real sense, Apple hasn’t made ANYTHING that didn’t spring from that theft, and they still profit from it today.
Ives seems to live in a world of black and white, without shades of grey. He also seems to set his moral compass to be aligned with what’s profitable for Apple. In his world, he only thinks that HE does work, and that other people copy HIM. This probably seems good when viewed from the lawsuit-centric filter that Apple ALWAYS uses, but in the real world, we know better.
Ive needs to leave apple , He is old now.
correct
Xiaomi is conceptually very different, more similar to amazon then Apple, and more successfull then amazon in a sense. They don’t merely sell hardware but services. Their phone exist merely to access their store, so xiaomi has interest to sell hardware at low prices, but only to people can actually access their store. Apple is at the opposite, they build jewels.
Xiaomi plays at a very different level, they don’t make money on the hardware, apple dies, so they are scared.
Typical Apple !! Any similarity will evoke condemnation. But seriously how may ways can you design a box. A box is prior art and Apple did not invent the box.
Typical Apple !! Any similarity will evoke condemnation. But seriously how may ways can you design a box. A box is prior art and Apple did not invent the box.
I think that they see only the surface..Copying is not only in the design department…Xiaomi gives a great OS with many capabilities, and gives way more products that Apple cannot imagine in this price range…
I think that they see only the surface..Copying is not only in the design department…Xiaomi gives a great OS with many capabilities, and gives way more products that Apple cannot imagine in this price range…
Alot of comments below got my upvote!! Nothing to say!
“Xiaomi is a very open company, will not be forced to ask you only use the products we have a lot of Xiaomi outside. seriously by any individual institution Over millet products qualify say is not copying someone else’s”
… The hell does that even mean ? oO
Alot of comments below got my upvote!! Nothing to say!
“Xiaomi is a very open company, will not be forced to ask you only use the products we have a lot of Xiaomi outside. seriously by any individual institution Over millet products qualify say is not copying someone else’s”
… The hell does that even mean ? oO
Nowadays most phones look alike, Next we might have Samsung telling Meizu that their MX4 Pro has button like in Samsung range.
Apple is a creative company and it has made wonderful products and it still has a market range. What is happening is that Apple is facing competition from Samsung and now they have Xiaomi which is in a way giving a run for its money to even Samsung.
To be honest, yes Xiaomi phones do look like Apple phone. But honestly was Apple not the company which was happy to churn out phones below 4.5 inch screen (rather around 4 inch screen) I have many Apple fans who would laugh at my 5 inch Android phones saying “Apple iphone has a nice small screen real comfortable” after iphone 6 was announced I find it hard to get them into a conversation. So now is Apple copying idea for 4.7 inch + screen for phone?
Most phones now look very similar. Even Samsung phones now start to look more like each other. But then what Apple forgets is CUSTOMERS. Customers buy Apple product because they bring some look and technology. The customers are not stupid. When people buy Xiaomi (as we do in India) we are not buying it as a phone that is replacement of Apple. But a good quality phone bringing wonderful Android experience using its MIUI interface. The only word “apple” that might come in the conversation is that “.. it is 1/3 the price of any iphone ..”
Apple already sees its market coming down, and importantly there is some informaton that Xiaomi might enter USA. If Xiaomi enters USA then we expect another round of war this might be 3 sided Apple vs Samsung Vs Xiaomi in terms of price. Samsung vs xiaomi for Android phone. Apple Vs Xiaomi for better value for money and popularity.
Apple has long sat on technology and reaped profits but considering the cost to profit, iphone brings a big chunk of profit to apple, but guess once Xiaomi enters the market, Apple profits are going to fall down much faster.
But, each brand has brand loyals. So those brand loyals for apple will continue to buy and use iphones unless they get tempted to use xiaomi and get hooked to it. Xiaomi is good phone and good value for money but it does not bring a “social status” associated with using iphone. But then these people are letting Apple make a lot of profit instead of seeing real value for money.
I think Apple has designs and Xiaomi has taken some inspiration from them (just saying so) Also apple should know, making a phone look like iphone is another. But getting it to work wondefully and have brand following is other. Half a decade ago there were many chinese iphone look alikes. How many of you remember the brands? There was one Sciphone. But people did not go for them. They were iphone look alikes but functionality is important and also value for money. People are buying Xiaomi because the phone is good and brings good technology in the pack. What do Xiaomi MI3 which is a beautiful product have anything common with iphone 5 or iphone 5? In design? I recently gifted Xiaomi MI3 to a spanish friend who uses iphone. He said the phone is comfortable and feels great and wonderful to use. The best part is that now he is hooked to Xiaomi MI3. Now imagine this a iphone user for more than 7 years uses and feels better using Xiaomi, that is a lot to say about the product.
Nowadays most phones look alike, Next we might have Samsung telling Meizu that their MX4 Pro has button like in Samsung range.
Apple is a creative company and it has made wonderful products and it still has a market range. What is happening is that Apple is facing competition from Samsung and now they have Xiaomi which is in a way giving a run for its money to even Samsung.
To be honest, yes Xiaomi phones do look like Apple phone. But honestly was Apple not the company which was happy to churn out phones below 4.5 inch screen (rather around 4 inch screen) I have many Apple fans who would laugh at my 5 inch Android phones saying “Apple iphone has a nice small screen real comfortable” after iphone 6 was announced I find it hard to get them into a conversation. So now is Apple copying idea for 4.7 inch + screen for phone?
Most phones now look very similar. Even Samsung phones now start to look more like each other. But then what Apple forgets is CUSTOMERS. Customers buy Apple product because they bring some look and technology. The customers are not stupid. When people buy Xiaomi (as we do in India) we are not buying it as a phone that is replacement of Apple. But a good quality phone bringing wonderful Android experience using its MIUI interface. The only word “apple” that might come in the conversation is that “.. it is 1/3 the price of any iphone ..”
Apple already sees its market coming down, and importantly there is some informaton that Xiaomi might enter USA. If Xiaomi enters USA then we expect another round of war this might be 3 sided Apple vs Samsung Vs Xiaomi in terms of price. Samsung vs xiaomi for Android phone. Apple Vs Xiaomi for better value for money and popularity.
Apple has long sat on technology and reaped profits but considering the cost to profit, iphone brings a big chunk of profit to apple, but guess once Xiaomi enters the market, Apple profits are going to fall down much faster.
But, each brand has brand loyals. So those brand loyals for apple will continue to buy and use iphones unless they get tempted to use xiaomi and get hooked to it. Xiaomi is good phone and good value for money but it does not bring a “social status” associated with using iphone. But then these people are letting Apple make a lot of profit instead of seeing real value for money.
I think Apple has designs and Xiaomi has taken some inspiration from them (just saying so) Also apple should know, making a phone look like iphone is another. But getting it to work wondefully and have brand following is other. Half a decade ago there were many chinese iphone look alikes. How many of you remember the brands? There was one Sciphone. But people did not go for them. They were iphone look alikes but functionality is important and also value for money. People are buying Xiaomi because the phone is good and brings good technology in the pack. What do Xiaomi MI3 which is a beautiful product have anything common with iphone 5 or iphone 5? In design? I recently gifted Xiaomi MI3 to a spanish friend who uses iphone. He said the phone is comfortable and feels great and wonderful to use. The best part is that now he is hooked to Xiaomi MI3. Now imagine this a iphone user for more than 7 years uses and feels better using Xiaomi, that is a lot to say about the product.