Samsung’s Tizen prototype has a familiar home button

9to5 Staff | May 8 2012 - 8:49 am PT

Samsung just cannot shake the blatant copying—almost like it is part of its DNA. Its latest Tizen reference device, besides an OS that copies the look and feel of Android, has a circular home button right where Apple’s iPhone has one.

Samsung is being dragged through the courts the world over for copying the iPhone’s look and feel. That behavior does not seem to be abating any, and might even be increasing. Samsung is now the world’s largest handset and smartphone maker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rJ1y7CpIaVA In related news, Apple and Samsung agreed to reduce the number of patent infringement claims against each other in California. Judge Lucy Koh ordered Apple and Samsung to “streamline” its patent claims last week ahead of a trial set for July 30. However, the companies had already cut back the claims included in the case to 37 products, 16 patents, six trademark, five trade dress claims, and an antitrust suit. Judge Koh said the extent of the case is “cruel and unusual punishment to a jury,” and if Apple and Samsung did not agree to reduce the set of claims, the trial would be postponed until next year. According to FOSS Patents, Apple said in a filing late yesterday with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California that it is willing to drop half of its patent-infringement claims, which range from “status bar” to the “iPhone’s body style.” Meanwhile, Samsung agreed to drop five out of its 12 patents, which include “apparatus and method for controlling a demultiplexer and a multiplexer” and “mobile telephone capable of displaying world time.” FOSS Patents’ Florian Mueller elaborated:

“Samsung offered to drop five of its 12 asserted patents but argued that Apple’s case is still far too big to go to trial this summer. Apple’s filing accused Samsung of being uncooperative in the build-up to these filings, but Samsung puts all the blame on Apple and says the case still isn’t ready for a summer trial.”