Samsung Introduces Modified Galaxy Tablet to Avoid German Ban

The modifications seen with the new device are primarily aesthetic, as Apple accused Samsung of replicating the iPad’s design and user interface.

"The newly modified device will be renamed the Galaxy Tab 10.1N, and we've made two changes to the design," Samsung spokesman Jason Kim told the Journal. "The design of the bezel has been changed, and the speaker has also been relocated," he said.

The company has not released an official launch date for the modified device, according to a statement from Samsung spokesman Jose Suh in ComputerWorld.

Samsung’s release of the revised Galaxy 10.1N tablet signifies the most recent development within a larger legal battle that has been raging between the electronics company and its competitor Apple since April. In September, Apple was granted injunctions banning Galaxy 10.1 tablet sales in Germany and the Netherlands after claiming Samsung tablets and smartphones were “slavish” copies of the iPhone and iPad.

As a counter-attack, Samsung filed for preliminary injunctions against iPhone 4S sales in Tokyo and Australia. The firm is also seeking a ban on Apple’s iPhone 4S and iPad 2 sales in Japan.

Galaxy 10.1N isn’t the first instance in which legal woes with Apple have spurred the company to modify a product within the European market. In October the firm introduced a modified version of its Galaxy S smartphone in the Netherlands after sales were banned in Apple’s favor. Galaxy S design allegedly infringed on the iPhone’s scrolling and browsing features.

Despite being knee-deep in legal allegations, Samsung saw strong Q3 growth and its smartphone sales exceeded Apple’s.

Market researchers Strategy Analytics reported that Samsung sold nearly 28 million units of its Android-fueled smartphones in Q3, while Apple trailed behind with approximately 17 million.