Did Huawei steal the Nexus 6P design from one of ZTE’s smartphones?
The Nexus 6P is a gorgeous device, and we were initially taken aback by the revelation that Huawei knows how to build a pretty good kit. But one company suggests they’ve had some key influence in its design.
ZTE has come out to claim that Huawei lifted the design for the Nexus 6P from their Athena smartphone (which launched in most markets as the ZTE Grand S). They weren’t too harsh about it, it seems. In fact, if this translation is the least bit accurate it even sounds like they were flattered at the thought.
Taking a look for ourselves, the back panel does look quite similar. It’s placed at the top and it’s black, after all. And that’s where the similarities end.
Look — it’s not a common design, this we know, but it’s a bit silly to claim Huawei lifted all of the Nexus 6P’s looks from the Athena when it’s just this one particular element that happens to be similar. Since when did we start caring much about shared elements of design between smartphones, anyway?
History shows us that companies borrow ideas and designs from each other, and unless there’s a strict patent protecting your goods then it’s fair game. ZTE also wasn’t the only company to use a black panel for housing the camera module on a smartphone. Nokia’s 808 smartphone (pictured below, to the right) was first to that table, even if it doesn’t look exactly the same.
In short: get over it, be happy that you made a design someone else liked enough to use in their own product, and accept the fact that this sort of stuff happens more often than anyone is comfortable admitting.
[via Stiri]