By 
Samsung is definitely no stranger to “Apple copy cat” claims. I think we all remember how their lawsuit with Apple ended. Where those were some extremely early Galaxy models, we’ve since seen Samsung come into their own, taking on Apple head-to-head in a variety of ads with their latest flagships.
Last week, Samsung once again landed themselves in more hot water — not of the legal variety, only in reputation — after they announced via their official Samsung Gulf Facebook page, the arrival of the all new gold Samsung Galaxy S4.
As expected, Samsung immediately began receiving heat from netizens over the timing of the new color option, announced only a few weeks after Apple finally made the gold iPhone 5s official. Many felt Samsung was once again playing the “me too” game, but only after they watched as the new color variant become the iPhone in highest demand (and shortest supply).
It was over the weekend Samsung took to their “Samsung Tomorrow” blog to set the record straight. In an attempt at gaining back some of their mobile street cred, Samsung reminds us who’s been making gold colored phones for years now, highlighting just a few of the Samsung devices to feature the color dating all the way back to 2004.
In dealing with the gold Samsung Galaxy S4 “announcement”? Turns out, that was nothing more than a reminder. The gold Galaxy S4 was actually announced on August 27th for United Arab Emirates and made available in stores for purchase on Sept 8th, 2 days prior to the gold iPhone 5 ever becoming official. As it stands, the gold color option hasn’t been made available anywhere outside of UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar, with no current plans to do battle with the gold iPhone globally.
So, what do you guys think? Does this help their case just a little bit. Keep in mind Samsung isn’t saying they invented the gold colored phone, merely stating that they’ve been doing them for a long time.
Sammy , you are my hero.
Wouldn’t have mattered to me anyway. Hardly any phone idea is original anymore. The quickest to adapt to the current trend makes the most money….let them have it and compete for our dollars.
Woot, I called it in the comments of the previous phandroid article :
http://phandroid.com/2013/09/25/samsung-galaxy-s4-gold/#comment-1063269709
The gold Galaxy S4 was actually announced on August 27th for United Arab Emirates and made available in stores for purchase on Sept 8th, 2 days prior to the gold iPhone 5 ever becoming official.
BWAM
And of course everyone forgets the main point, about the timing of Samsung’s “reminder’ announcement BWAAAAAAAMM…….
caused people to look it up, gaining interest and knowledge in one of their products. isn’t that what advertisement is about?
It’s amazing to run into Android sheep like yourself. I love android as much as anyone else, but when I see Samsung trying to hijack someone’s spotlight, I call it for what it is. Congratulations on turning into a sheep.
How is he defending Samsung in any way, or being a sheep? He’s asking isn’t that how advertising works? He’s actually agreeing that Samsung *did* steal their highlight. LoL!!
Well… I guess his other part is defending Samsung when you think about it. Hmm…
A Tech-Sheep, is a person that blindly follows a brand to the gates of hell, without question. Permanent Brand Loyalty, even when the company they love makes bad choices. This used to be reserved for Apple fans, but now we’re seeing the infection spread to Samsung fans as well.
No. There is no such thing as a “tech-sheep.” You just made that up because you were feeling lonely. There are only Apple sheep. The reason why Apple has that title is because you need a shepard to herd the sheep. That shepard was Steve Jobs. Now it’s Tim Cook. Most Apple sheep could tell you who their shepherd is. Most Android users have no idea who the Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Sony CEOs are. The herd must follow the shepherd without defection and congregate in large numbers. Take a look at any Apple launch and watch the herd congregate at the Apple stores for days. There are NEVER herds of Android fans congregating for days awaiting the next Lenovo, Sony, LG or whatever device. Android owners are sheep. Android owners don’t brag about how “much profit” their smartphone manufacturer makes off of them. They don’t call their phones “magical” and “one of a kind.” They don’t worship their phones by calling them “Jesus phones.”
Android owners aren’t sheep.Neither are Windows Phone owners or Blackberry owners.
They are customers.
Your RANT is something only a sheep would say :P But seriously, you don’t think there are smug Android users out there?
do you even know where the term ” sheep ” came from to even have “android sheep” on the same sentence?? -.-
You do realize that the gold iphone was leaked way before that. Don’t go by official dates because they mean nothing.
So we shouldn’t go by when Apple released a 64-bit OS and we should go by the timeline that was set years ago which rumored that Android would become 64-bit in 2014?
everyone knows that android should have had 64-bit but manufacturers were late to the game which is probably the only surprising thing that came out of the iphone 5 announcement.
To be fair, a casual web search turns up an article from July 23 (more than a month before the gold GS4 announcement about a gold iPhone (http://www.phonearena.com/news/Apple-iPhone-5S-iPhone-Lite-leak-out-pictured-along-with-iPhone-in-gold_id45612).
I figured it was some case similar anyways. Like WTF people!? Can’t y’all give Samsung a break? Apple ISN’T the 1st one to do the things they do. =.=
Samsung says “Oh look, we have a gold phone too” and by doing this, they tried to hijack Apple’s success. Didn’t work obviously.
give it up already
Oh wow… This is starting to sound a bit… personal. LoL!!
Not really. I am a big fan of Samsung devices. I have Samsung phones, (S3+Note2) Samsung 3DTV, Speakers, LCD Monitors, Samsung handheld cameras. I just don’t like Samsung’s Marketing tactics. Oh ya, Samsung tablet that I just got rid of…..
Hmm… That’s a bit… useless to say. Saying you don’t like *their* marketing, but everyone else’s is okay?
I mean, businesses do shady marketing anyways. I know it sucks when a company you like does something like this, but yea. Do understand that Samsung *isn’t* the only company to have done something like this. LoL!!
A little too Personal if you ask me..
Apple had gold phones 10 years ago like Samsung?
You noobs are not getting the point. We all know Sammy had a gold phone years ago. The point is that Samsung made a “me too” announcement right after Apple. If that doesn’t make sense to you, then I cannot explain it any better.
I understand what you’re saying, but 1. It makesa no sense, and 2. you’re an effing idiot.
It is quite common, for a troll to call other people names, when they lack comprehension skills.
Yeah I thank you for supporting Apple, you are my hero. Shamesung is the worst for trying to win this race!
Doesn’t matter. I don’t want a gold phone.
Yellow gold is so blah even in jewelry. White gold on the other hand…..
It’s a question of preferences. I personally hate yellow gold. My first choice is a white metal – gold or silver, if I want a polished look. Red gold isn’t bad either. No yellow please, it’s so Middle East. Oh, and I meant – for jewelry.
They made the color after the rumors. This changes nothing…
Did you actually bother reading the article before commenting? He rebate the highlights :
1. Announcement made WAY before apple
2. Device available before apples announcement
3. Samsung been making gold phones for almost 10 years
4. Its real gold. Not just a color. And only available in basically dubai
5. Ur a troll
Real gold!? So it’ll cost an arm, leg, and 2% of your soul?
I thought he made mention of rumors…? Doesn’t the 16th come before the 27th?
http://bgr.com/2013/08/16/iphone-5s-gold-photos-leak/
Please read before posting idiotic comments here. Thanks.
And you know this because ?
Because he owns an iPhone.
That gold phone is super tacky. I really dislike the color gold anyway, silver is much more my style. But really, who cares if Samsung ripped off of Apple for that or not, it’s still ugly as hell.
Yet they glaze over the timing of the “reminder”
sounds like smart advertising to me.
Then you must not understand what Marketing Hijack means. Riding the wave of someone else’s success? Does that not mean anything to you? I bet if Apple was the guilty party, you would be singing a different song. If they made the announcement 2 weeks after Apple, no one would bat an eye. But they specifically made the announcement right after Apple. That’s what “me too” means. Samsung has accepted guilt, that is why they had to apologize.
But didn’t they say the phone was already out before Apple even mentioned it? Or did I misread the article? That wasn’t a rhetorical question, BTW. I actually interpreted it as Samsung saying they already had the phone in the United Aram Emirates, just not anywhere else.
Yes, the Gold S4 was already out in the UAE prior to the Gold iPhone 5S. I’m not arguing that. What Samsung did wrong, was make a “we sell a gold device too” announcement too close to Apple’s announcement.
Who cares about their timing ? Right after is the perfect time to announce it, especially to draw away those people inclined to like such a horrid color anyways.
You spoke a contradiction. First you condone the announcement, then you call the color horrid. Which is it?
You read the article correctly, Nightcap read it wrong, or didnt actually read the article, take your pick, lol.
A Gold HTC One would look better than anything Samsung or Apple has to offer… #Bawse
Fair enough. Everyone copies everyone. However, gotta say that pink on gold wins the ugliest phone award though.
Samsung copies Apple and its somehow not as awful as apple copying Samsung.
Dont stone me ill rock my s4 over iphone all day. Just funny. Double Standard. Even if they had a gold flipphone before iphone came out. They are doing it as to not let apple have the entire “gold smartphone space”. And why should they let apple have that space? But again, double standard.
How’s it a double standard when they announced the gold version before apple announced their multi coloured ones? However Samsung did take advantage of Apple’s press with the timing of their reminder announcement.
So Samsung is getting called a “CopyCat” because they have a gold phone that is the same color as an Iphone that at the heart of it is a Samsung Proc. Really guys?
I think that samsung is a bad company, because they didn’t learn the lessons yet,
for any step they should take a patented for it, so no one can make gold phones, and suw apple.
Apple owns the color gold now eh? Didn’t realize a company could own a color. /sarcasm
who really cares what “netizens” say?
All Samsung has to do is create phones that match the quality of their tvs. Look at the Samsung F8000 LED, there is nothing cheap looking about that TV.
Then they need to heavily optimize their touch wiz interface to make it faster and smoother. Also, give people updates faster.
After that, they should have no problem overtaking Apple. Give people quality hardware and a quality OS and people will buy. I highly doubt new colors alone will push Samsung forward.
How about they stop becoming the next HTC and trim down some of those features? =.=
I think Samsung is on the right path for the most part. Considering they’re the king of options, I don’t understand why they don’t make a metal one. I know the current setup costs more than the metal iphone so may be cause the price will go up too high?
I think the Samsung log cheapens their TV.
Pretty sure it wasn’t copying. Gold represents a lot depending on where you are. And over there is one of them lol
Just wanted anyone who upgraded this weekend on Verizon to see this not really sure why phandroid isn’t talking about this. This was a press release from Verizon.
(Over the past weekend, there was a software issue involving some orders for customers seeking to upgrade their devices. A number of customers who were upgrading devices were able to maintain an unlimited monthly data feature while paying a subsidized price.
Verizon Wireless will honor those orders that were approved this past weekend, allowing those customers to retain their unlimited plans for the duration of their contract and receive their new device.
Verizon Wireless corrected this software issue today (9/30). The company no longer offers unlimited data plans and customers who want to retain existing unlimited data plans, must pay full retail price for a replacement phone.)
“Software issue”. Riiiight.
Does Apple own the trademark to colors now? Is anyone making a phone copying Apple now? Are the iSheep so desperate to deny the total lack of innovation at Apple that they now want to claim Apple’s genius at intrducing a different color phone? Wow. It’s official iSheep. You have a problem
They own the trademark to colors, and to you too.
rofl
They wish they did. Apple copies Android. Hands down iOS 7 is ICS. #ApplePOS
IOS 7 looks like ICS, acts like Donut, lol.
Thi s story is not about trademarks, etc. in fact Apple don’t even acknowledge this event…..this is Samsung responding to bloggers and tech journo’s…I don’t think App,e cares.
The real story here is that Apple does something and then Samsung seemingly responds….this has Ben a trend for the last 5 years now.
i didn’t really pay the whole story much attention. Obviously they had to have a gold phone in the works to be able to release it this quick.
Wtf….it’s a gold painted plastics case…..how hard is that???
I forget how clueless people are on the interwebs.
lmao
I just have one thing to say after reading this article : Iphone 5s > SGS4 .
In price if not in features. Or technological progress. Or speed.
In all effing aspects. IOS is faster, smoother and more friendly to the 99% of the world. Stop being so blind and come back to reality my friend.
sheep are dumber then wolves so they need a dumb downed phone
*Than. It seems you lack some grammar there. Get an iphone and that will help you on that sad part of your story.
Samsung sucks, but iOS 7 has destroyed everything I love about the iPhone, so I’m considering trying out HTC One (stock version) or the upcoming Nexus 5.
Definitely wait on the N5 for three reasons: price, portability to other carriers, and processor is a step above HTC’s One.
My sentiments EXACTLY…
(honest question) what did they destroy? It seems like IOS 7 borrowed a lot of features from android, wouldn’t that be a good thing? Unless the look bothers you, that I can understand.
The new flat look and feel looks like it was designed by year olds in the 70’s
Roses are red
iPhones are gold
Samsung has SD
That’s all that matters to me
They miss the point. It’s not about who did it “first first” It’s about the fact that they wouldn’t have released a gold S4 had apple not just done the same thing.
PS for the oh it was announced in August crap…. the good iPhone casing had been leaked already. No difference.
not really since iphone is gold coloured and s4 is GOLD ,goldmember spits at the fake gold iphone
Yeah…gold plastic phone…yay
They released it before apple.. so.. umm.. what are you trying to say again?
They caught wind Apple was going to do it so they did it. Again, even if it was “before apple released it” they still knew apple was doing it so they did it.
Yeah.. that’s what happened alright… last minute design decision by Samsung to one up Apple. I bet that is their motivation for marketing and design ideas. Sounds legit to me. /sigh
It wasn’t to “one up” apple it was to be like apple. Samsung is doing amazing things and I think they Need to step away from their recent history and do their best to distance themselves from the “apple copycat” stuff
Or maybe.. they have a history or marketing a gold phone in the past, prior to Apple, and this is another example of the long practiced marketing to offer another phone to a specific market that buys gold (actual gold) phones, and Apple never factored into Samsung’s decision, as Apple’s gold iphone isn’t relevant to Samsung’s limited offering… sorry Anthony.. you are defending a moot point…
Who cares?
iPhone users crying ‘Samsung copied’!
They copied alright. This article is a farse. Iphone is far superior.
now i agree with u sammy copys apple…which is the reason i dont use samsung mobile products…but iphone is not superior…my droid hd is superior besides the camera…and my future moto x will be superior also
lol apple fags are so butthurt over this ,didnt know apple innovated gold ,even the gold colour on samsung is BETTER since its ACTUALLY REAL GOLD ,not gold coloured pop can metal
Oh yes Apple invented gold, rectangles, rounded corners, bouncing screens, moving a block of pixels with a finger to unlock phone. What else? Wiggling your little finger? Apple fans and writers are always praising Apple for innovation. Then when competition does something similiar it is copying. The minutest things are phrased. But are these really innvocations or just same old stuff that is prior art? Weren’ there fake gold watches before it the past? It is not a huge mental leap to have gold phones, cars, laptops, tablets (Asus already had a champagne gold model long before iPhone 5 ).
Are they such geniuses that no one has thought of this already many times over.
I do recall a creating Samsung report that did a side by side comparison of Apples iPhone and Samsungs with a lot of recommendations on where they had to I prove.
They at all inspired by each other and that does lead to copying per se but I am yet to see where Samsungs innovations have added any significant contribution to design.
Seems to set the record straight for me. Although, such petty things shouldn’t matter to a successful company like Samsung.
whats all the hullabaloo about , everybody copies from everyone else.
Apple copies Samsung. Samsung copies Apple. Personally its just market competition. Sure. It looks nicer. Its a high end smartphone with a big name on it, and they made it look nicer. Is it wrong to do the same? Was it wrong for someone to create a “smartphone” and then have someone else make one…? Its competition, and im sure over the next few years there will be more golden phones from other producers as well. As far as using gold plastic to actual gold… Samsung wins. Costs a lot more, but for those willing to spend it, id much rather hold a solid gold backed phone than plastic.
The don’t call it Samesong for nothing lol
They don’t call it Shamesung Samesong Samsung for nothing! LOL
my Aunty Lyla just got a stunning yellow Mitsubishi Eclipse Convertible by working from a computer. pop over to these guys Jam20.ℂom