15 Oct 2025
The video explores the pervasive nature of copying among tech companies, particularly in the smartphone industry, examining why this practice, despite its controversies, often proves beneficial for consumers. It argues that while direct imitation can spread innovation and make technology accessible, aggressive or identical replication of physical design can detract from brand originality.
The host addresses viewers after a 10-day absence, explaining it was due to attending the Elcomp and meeting people at the Qaiskan competition.
The video questions why copying is prevalent and beneficial among tech companies, and when adopting features from rivals is acceptable.
Companies copy each other's features but often present them with marketing buzzwords to create an illusion of originality, such as Apple's Tim Cook claiming first use of vapor chambers in smartphones.
While loyal brand fans may be frustrated by feature replication, copying ultimately serves the broader user base by making advanced technologies, initially exclusive to expensive flagships, widely available and affordable.
Chinese brands like Xiaomi are recognized for their open and rapid adoption of features from competitors, a practice that contributes to their quick development cycles and market progress.
Technology often follows a cycle where initial innovations are costly, followed by competitors copying and integrating them at lower costs, thus democratizing access and precluding the need for everyone to pay premium prices.
Beyond simple feature adoption, “ugly behavior” in competition includes companies mocking rivals for design choices (e.g., Samsung's ridicule of Apple removing headphone jacks or chargers) only to implement the same changes later, undermining genuine competition.
Copying software features like Dynamic Island, widgets, or Always-On Display is largely acceptable as it enhances user experience. However, direct imitation of physical design is seen as detrimental, leading to a loss of brand distinctiveness and product identity.
Apple's delayed adoption of technologies like RCS messaging or vapor chambers is primarily a strategic move to preserve its exclusive ecosystem, such as iMessage, and maintain user loyalty, rather than a lack of innovation. However, competitive pressure eventually leads to their integration.
Consumer preference can significantly influence industry trends; for example, Samsung's pioneering large-screen Galaxy Note series, despite initial resistance from industry figures like Steve Jobs, ultimately led to the widespread adoption of larger smartphone displays across all brands, including Apple.
Companies like Vivo have historically introduced significant innovations such as under-display fingerprint sensors and cameras years before mainstream adoption, showcasing a broader landscape of technological advancement beyond major players.
The cycle of copying and imitation is an unavoidable and generally positive force that ensures technology reaches a global audience, making advanced features accessible regardless of individual purchasing power.
In a market saturated with similar features, a robust and integrated ecosystem, like Apple's, becomes a critical exclusive offering that fosters user loyalty and sets a brand apart, while others strive to build equally compelling experiences.
Copying becomes problematic when it results in products that are almost indistinguishable, or when companies reintroduce previously unsuccessful design ideas, such as Xiaomi's exact replication of iPhone designs to the point where cases are interchangeable, indicating a lack of original thought.
Copying is generally beneficial for making technology accessible worldwide, but it crosses a line into “ridiculous” when it involves identical physical designs, anti-competitive mockery, or a complete lack of original contribution, which ultimately hinders the diversity and innovation in the market.
Copying is not a bad thing; in general, in all areas, if there was no such thing as copying or imitating, many of the things that are available to us now would simply not exist, remaining exclusive to the wealthy.
| Key Aspect | Description | Illustrative Example |
|---|---|---|
| Copying for Accessibility | Widespread adoption of features, originally expensive innovations, makes technology affordable and available to all users. | Volvo releasing its three-point seatbelt patent for universal use; quartz watches making timekeeping accessible beyond the wealthy. |
| Innovation Diffusion Cycle | A continuous loop where one company introduces an expensive innovation, followed by others copying and refining it at lower costs. | Flagship phone features (e.g., vapor chambers, Dynamic Island) appearing on mid-range devices within a year. |
| Ugly vs. Beneficial Copying | While copying features is often good, mocking competitors for design choices only to adopt them later, or creating identical physical designs, is considered 'ugly' and detrimental to originality. | Samsung ridiculing Apple for removing the headphone jack/charger, then doing the same; Xiaomi's phone designs fitting iPhone cases. |
| Ecosystems as Differentiation | In a market where features are easily copied, a strong, integrated ecosystem becomes a key differentiator for companies. | Apple's ecosystem (iMessage, AirDrop, Mac integration) providing unique user benefits and brand loyalty. |
| User Demand Drives Innovation | Consumer preferences can override initial industry reluctance, pushing companies towards adopting features that prove popular. | The success of Samsung's large-screen Galaxy Note series eventually leading Apple to introduce larger iPhones despite Steve Jobs' initial opposition. |
