Apple doctors more images to increase similarities with Samsung devices

This isn't new, we've already seen that Apple doctored photos of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to make it look more like the iPad, but now we're seeing that Apple has done the same thing with its recent filings in the Netherlands against the entire Samsung Galaxy phone line. The thing is, it's a blatantly dishonest move by Apple, but it probably doesn't actually mean much. 

As the images from both filings show, Apple doctored photos to make the size and shape of Samsung devices more similar to Apple devices, but what people don't talk about much is that Apple also made sure that the screen showed a grid of app icons to hammer home the point. Of course, the Galaxy Tab has a different aspect ratio, and the Galaxy phones are bigger than iPhones, but to make Android look like it's just an app launcher like iOS seems just as bad. Admittedly, the Samsung TouchWiz UI is almost certainly designed to mimic the visual style of iPhone app icons, and any lawsuit to that matter should be heard. But, for Apple to go after any mobile device that's rectangular and has app icons seems a bit overboard. 

That said, in the end, it probably doesn't make much difference. In the German filing concerning the Galaxy Tab, the decision wasn't based solely on the images sent by Apple, the judge physically handled both devices before making the judgement. And, in the Dutch filings, the claims are geared more towards technical patents rather than the physical appearance of the hardware. So, while the doctoring of photos is certainly misleading, it probably hasn't had as much real-world consequence as some would like you to believe. 

source: Ars Technica