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Samsung Ultrathin TV Looks Like Giant iPhone 3G
Posted by Jesus Diaz at 2:25 AM on August 30, 2008
Scratch one more notch for Apple design influence, because next year's top-of-the-range Samsung Ultrathin All-In-One looks like an oversized iPhone 3G, down to the finish in black or white. The 52-inch TV--which is 1-inch at its thickest point--includes all the circuitry and ports in its ultra-slim body, with no breakout boxes or hunchbacks. The result is the slickest TV we have seen in the whole of IFA 2008, beating the Sony ZX1. And the best looking so far this year.
Scratch one more notch for Apple design influence, because next year's top-of-the-range Samsung Ultrathin All-In-One looks like an oversized iPhone 3G, down to the finish in black or white. The 52-inch TV--which is 1-inch at its thickest point--includes all the circuitry and ports in its ultra-slim body, with no breakout boxes or hunchbacks. The result is the slickest TV we have seen in the whole of IFA 2008, beating the
While the slick Sony ZX1 is only 9.9mm, it also has a box in the middle and has to be set up on a stand because of that. The Samsung Ultrathin All-In-One 1 doesn't, extending the circuitry across its back and tapering the glossy back cover towards the edges, in a very smooth curve. This is a design choice similar to the iPhone 3G and the MacBook Air (and before the anti-Apple fanboys protest, here's a little tale: four days ago I asked one of the chief designers at Philips about Apple's industrial design. "Do you think they are a big influence in consumer products?" I said. Smiling, he spent five minutes talking about the undeniable influence of the work of Ive and Co. in most of the stuff currently out there).
The Good: Amazing, beautiful design. It's as beautiful and simple on the front as it is on the back. In fact, so nice on the back that, even while it's perfect to be hung on the wall, I would like for it to be standing in the middle of a room. The picture quality doesn't go far behind. Crisp image quality and very smooth motion, with an even distribution of light.
The Bad: You will have to wait until next year to get one.
Bottom line: The race towards the slimmest TVs continues, and I think Samsung has the winner so far. [More IFA 2008 Coverage]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
thisisasignin
Posted 3:13 AM 30/8/08
Oops, previous comment directed @Joseph
thisisasignin
thisisasignin
Posted 3:12 AM 30/8/08
iSung
thisisasignin
king_of_fools
Posted 3:03 AM 30/8/08
the smoothed out concave shape that the iphone uses on its back was not invented by iphone ... you guys really have a one track mind.
king_of_fools
.Trenchant.
Posted 2:49 AM 30/8/08
look, I love my iPhone as much as the next guy, especially right now as I'm typing this on mine from the cold dead atmosphere of the license bureau... But give me a break. Samsung had relatively the same design for models the were selling a year and a half ago when my grandfather bought his 1080p 46" LCD. Same curved back design, same gloss finish for the back. As a matter of fact, it was even something that dissapointed me that they didn't include that design feauture in my series 5 model from this year. Sorry... But their design has nothing to do with Apple... They were literally years ahead on that design.
On a side note, that stupid eBay ad doesn't play well with the iPhone. I had to reload the page twice to get it not to cover the comments box.
.Trenchant.
soggy_cheerio
Posted 2:49 AM 30/8/08
@Endeavour: Yeah, it's not like that gentle curve to the back makes it more pocketable.
soggy_cheerio
Endeavour
Posted 2:46 AM 30/8/08
TVs don't need screens anymore: these days everybody is thrilled about watching them from the side and the back.
Endeavour
bosskev
Posted 2:46 AM 30/8/08
Yeah, a little too iPhone-like, apparently. Anyone who has physical access to this TVs buttons can change the channel, a huge security flaw.
bosskev
Joseph
Posted 2:43 AM 30/8/08
@Jesus Diaz: I love how he called you "the guy". LOL
Joseph
Joseph
Posted 2:42 AM 30/8/08
@jewsrock: You didn't get the memo? The iPhone is the new universal standard for design. If your product doesn't look like an iPhone in some respect, your design team is probably a bunch of derelict apes on amphetamines.
Joseph
Jesus Diaz
Posted 2:41 AM 30/8/08
@jewsrock: Read the article. It's not a criticism. It's just stating the facts. It's my favorite TV of the year, just for the design.
Jesus Diaz
Mikael
Posted 2:40 AM 30/8/08
Hm.. Does it really look like an iPhone? Really? Really really?
Don't, hmmm, think we're taking things one step too far this time, mm?
Mikael
Jesus Diaz
Posted 2:40 AM 30/8/08
@Jon B.: To show how THICK it is.
Jesus Diaz
bosskev
Posted 2:39 AM 30/8/08
I like the TV. But what's up with that Freddy Kreuger display stand?
bosskev
Jon B.
Posted 2:37 AM 30/8/08
It looks like an iPhone? I honestly wouldn't have been able to tell unless I saw the title of the article?
Why did the guy hold the iPhone up near the end?
Jon B.
jewsrock
Posted 2:33 AM 30/8/08
who cares if the back is like an iphone? this TV is really,really SEXY
jewsrock
Jon B.
Posted 3:30 AM 30/8/08
@Jesus Diaz: Oh alright, well it just looked like he was holding the iPhone far away from the TV, making it less accurate.
But then I realized that there was another white version of the TV to the left of the iPhone. My bad.
Jon B.
KicktheCAN
Posted 3:29 AM 30/8/08
I'm sorry, but that does not look like an iPhone. The back is concave? Is that what is supposed to be the similarity? Seriously?Apple did not invent round. They don't even have the same slope or anywhere near. I could understand if maybe the corners were rounded or something but thinking it takes inspiration from the iPhone because the back is concave is just ridiculous.
KicktheCAN
Dan Frommer
Posted 3:26 AM 30/8/08
"Scratch one more notch for Apple design influence." Wtf? You really think Samsung only started designing this TV once the iPhone 3G was unveiled? Apple didn't invent shiny black or tapered edges. The TV is sexy but I call for a new headline/premise.
Dan Frommer
SgtToastie
Posted 4:04 AM 30/8/08
Cause this hasn't been Samsung's design for over three years now....Just not this unbelievably thin!
SgtToastie
ps61318
Posted 3:55 AM 30/8/08
I think that stand is cool.
ps61318
rudeadly
Posted 3:54 AM 30/8/08
that is unbelievably thin .. makes mine feel like an old lunchbox! :(
rudeadly
jonathan.
Posted 3:50 AM 30/8/08
Are you guys serious? You can't be serious.
jonathan.
Fourthletter
Posted 3:50 AM 30/8/08
It looks like an iPhone ? You mean a large rectangular screen in black or white.....Alot of Tvs and monitors looked like that BEFORE the iPhone you freakin' mactard.
Fourthletter
jinushaun
Posted 3:48 AM 30/8/08
404 iPhone resemblance not found.
jinushaun
Endeavour
Posted 3:44 AM 30/8/08
2006 Samsung Home Cinema
[i.testfreaks.co.uk]
Jan 2008 Samsung DVD Player
[www.techfresh.net]
Obviously, Samsung traveled to the future to copy the iPhone 3G design.
Endeavour
BoinK
Posted 4:28 AM 30/8/08
[vegasmarathon.files.wordpress.com]
See, they're for horses not people, take them off.
BoinK
bosskev
Posted 4:23 AM 30/8/08
@bpapa9013: Brown? You sure it wasn't a Zune?
bosskev
bpapa9013
Posted 4:09 AM 30/8/08
I had really bad diarrhea the other day, the oily scum floating on the surface of the water looked EXACTLY like a brown iPhone... You guys want a video of that?
bpapa9013
bosskev
Posted 4:08 AM 30/8/08
@rudeadly: "...makes mine feel like an old lunchbox!"
Same for me on my old set! I don't know how many times I've watched "Bewitched" on that fat little box...strangely, that's all it ever gets...just Samantha and Endora and Dobbin.
Oh, wait...mine IS a lunch box.
Never mind.
bosskev
videoCWK
Posted 4:06 AM 30/8/08
That would look so awesome with a big Apple logo on back. Can anyone else see them using Apple-branded ones in Apple stores?
videoCWK
2001gsr
Posted 4:49 AM 30/8/08
@Fourthletter:
I second that
iPhone inspired? Exactly how is that, because its piano black? Curves? Did the iPhone invent these attributes or something?
2001gsr
shenanigans
Posted 5:19 AM 30/8/08
Hunchback of Notre DAAAAYYYYYUUUUUUMMM!!!!
shenanigans
mpjohnst
Posted 5:16 AM 30/8/08
Did anyone else notice that inputs/outputs are oriented so cables plug straight into the back? So much for hanging flat on the wall... You'll need at least 2-3" or more of extra space between the wall and the TV to plug in cables and have the cords bend south.
I would have preferred plugs that are oriented vertically with a cutout in the back plastic frame. That way it could truly be mounted flush to the wall. Don't know about heat concerns tho...
mpjohnst
jdickson87
Posted 5:16 AM 30/8/08
I don't think this is iphone inspired, guys. Thin+Black != iphone inspired. Yeah, it's curved- maybe they don't want it to look square and ugly. I think it looks more like a TV than a phone.
jdickson87
nikeplr
Posted 5:46 AM 30/8/08
So now anything that is rounded at the back and has a screen is an iPhone ripoff??
nikeplr
mr30gZune
Posted 5:27 AM 30/8/08
Someone, somewhere is laughing all the way to the bank, for some reason.
mr30gZune
misterwho
Posted 5:22 AM 30/8/08
Add a couple of giant fingerprints and I would have to agree. Considering the fact that this TV will actually stay shiny, I would have to say it is a much better implementation of slick plastic.
misterwho
stupidjerk
Posted 6:05 AM 30/8/08
@nikeplr: everything, not just with a screen and round back, is an iPhone ripoff...or was at least influenced by Ive and co.
Even tho he hasn't designed a single thing that wasn't a ripoff of 1960's Braun products designed by Rams
[madvertisingblog.files.wordpress.com]
[image.guardian.co.uk]
[www.37signals.com]
stupidjerk
Cupajo
Posted 7:00 AM 30/8/08
Let's see.
Rectangular?
Check.
Curved edges?
Check.
Black?
Check.
Smooth and glossy?
Check.
That's settles it. My grandmother's 40-year-old casserole dish is an iPhone rip-off.
Cupajo
bosskev
Posted 6:41 AM 30/8/08
@nikeplr: "So now anything that is rounded at the back and has a screen is an iPhone ripoff??"
Yes. Rounded at the back and having a screen are indeed the defining parameters. Savvy consumers should be aware of these iPhone knockoffs as well:
and
and
bosskev
ACEzWILD
Posted 9:53 AM 30/8/08
^^
I completely agree. This site should be renamed iPhonemodo...yeah...
ACEzWILD
Pantone
Posted 9:35 AM 30/8/08
and people didn't think the apple fanboys could get any worse...
Pantone
chrishw
Posted 11:01 AM 30/8/08
Because apple was the first to do EVERYTHING...
chrishw
Metkis
Posted 11:33 AM 30/8/08
Did anyone honestly read the article? Or do you all just like reading the titles and hoping your comments just fit the bill?
"This is a design choice similar to the iPhone 3G and the MacBook Air (and before the anti-Apple fanboys protest, here's a little tale: four days ago I asked one of the chief designers at Philips about Apple's industrial design. "Do you think they are a big influence in consumer products?" I said. Smiling, he spent five minutes talking about the undeniable influence of the work of Ive and Co. in most of the stuff currently out there)."
Metkis
TKWarrior
Posted 12:57 PM 30/8/08
@Metkis: The TV simply was NOT influenced by the new iPhone 3G. Maybe if it was another manufacture that was actually doing something new to their lineup design and this was six months after the phone's release (actually having TIME to copy something just made available). But COME ON!
Their replies are justified because of 'Scratch one more notch for Apple design influence' and similar comments made in the article. Never mind the fact that these backs have been on their TVs for YEARS. It's only now that it is thinner that it looks like an iPhone. They also had models in black and white glossy finishes since flat panels because mainstream.
It could be easier justified stating the iPhone 3G was influenced by their TVs, not that it would sound any less ridiculous. Sure, apple designs some great products. But their designs are not always 'original', nor every great looking product is inspired by them. It would be a pretty boring gadget world if that were the case.
Before it was any cell that dare have a touch screen and be 'gasp' rectangular in shape was already called by the trolls an iPhone rip-off. Are we seriously going to do the same for any product that's has a rounded backside and offered in monochrome flavors?
TKWarrior
Charging_Mooses
Posted 4:10 PM 30/8/08
can we please take an iBreak from the iPhone?
Charging_Mooses
StopTheLHC
Posted 6:26 PM 30/8/08
When did the race for the slimmest tv start?
StopTheLHC
Minimum91
Posted 8:28 PM 30/8/08
@ACEzWILD: You should rename your self as iDontknowanythingaboutindustraildesign
Minimum91
Minimum91
Posted 8:25 PM 30/8/08
@KicktheCAN: You are floating above the water, design is more than rounded corners or glossy back. Please, if you have no Idea what you are talking about, don't talk.
Minimum91
snowbeach024
Posted 10:19 PM 30/8/08
i want that tv mount. paired with the sexy tv it would go perfectly with a groovy rotating bed.
snowbeach024
MastaFalse
Posted 10:50 PM 30/8/08
This is what happens when you don't feed the bitches, Jesus.
MastaFalse
Halorin
Posted 2:43 AM 31/8/08
So... I get the feeling that Jesus Diaz likes iPhones.
Halorin
Muaddib1116
Posted 4:02 AM 30/8/08
Concave guys? Really? Convex. Did nobody go to elementary school?
And if anything, that side by side comparison with the iphone disproves the post title. The curvature profile is radically different. The Samsung tv has a markedly shallow curvature slope, with an acute edge where the back/side meets the front face. The iphone has an almost 180 degree curve as the back/side curves back in to blend into the front face.
Just because Samsung is offering a tv with a white/silvery back that happens to be similar to the iphone color scheme, doesn't mean that they are basing all their designs are based on Apple.
Muaddib1116
schpeen
Posted 3:09 AM 30/8/08
Why does everything have to be compared to an iPhone ???
schpeen
lilaliendog
Posted 2:05 AM 3/9/08
looks like design is going back to the bubble age
lilaliendog