Report: Samsung's top boss angry at the mobile division for copying Apple

02 August 2024

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Buds3, and Galaxy Buds3 Pro at its Unpacked event last month, and in the meantime they have become the most controversial Samsung products in years. And it all comes down to their designs, and how similar they are to Apple's Watch Ultra, AirPods 3, and AirPods Pro 2.

According to a new report out of Korea, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee has been anything but happy about this, voicing concerns about the copycat behavior in the mobile division, and even taking some (so far unnamed) actions against mobile division boss TM Roh.

An alleged insider claims the chairman himself stepped in after the controversy over Apple's design plagiarism and quality issues surrounding the Buds3 series and Galaxy Watch Ultra released last month, and the internal atmosphere at the company is now very bad.

Lee apparently asked for a change in plans for the mobile division going forward, presumably so something like this doesn't happen again in the future.

All of this is especially noteworthy considering the fact that Korean media describes the Samsung Chairman as being of a "gentle disposition" and not getting angry very easily. This time, however, it was different, we assume due to all the media reports about the similarity between the new watch and buds and Apple's products.

Samsung's Galaxy Watch line has, up until last month, had a round design that was unique to the Korean company, but the rounded circle look of the Watch Ultra is definitely going into Apple territory (though, in fairness, Apple's Watch Ultra is a rectangle, not a square).

As for the Buds3, these are the first ever Samsung earbuds with stems, a design pioneered by Apple many years ago with the original AirPods. A lot of other companies have adopted that design, but perhaps the biggest shock for people about the Buds3 is how much of a departure they are from every single previous Galaxy Buds design.

To add insult to injury, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro also seem to have quality control issues, with widespread reports of silicone ear tips ripping when removed.

Source (in Korean)